


unravel (解く)

by ElysiumDreams



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Horror, M/M, Romance, Smut, Violence, daniel is kind of a huge asshole i'm sorry, ghoul!daniel, investigator!minhyun, it's onghwang i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-02-07 13:49:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12842496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElysiumDreams/pseuds/ElysiumDreams
Summary: It's frustrating, Seongwoo thinks. Daniel wasn't always like this.His Daniel died on that day. This Daniel isn't his. He's cold and sinister, and when he calls him babe, Seongwoo doesn't feel butterflies in his stomach anymore. Rather, he feels a chill run up his spine, and it's the fear in him that makes him smile and respond as if nothing is wrong. He had always been a good actor, his friends have told him.But Seongwoo is also also afraid that it's not just the fear that keeps him attached, because when it comes down to it, Seongwoo isn't really afraid of Daniel, but he's afraid of what he is. And that's just it, what keeps Seongwoo coming back to Daniel, no matter how many scars he leaves on his body, no matter how coldly he treats him.He keeps hoping that, somewhere, buried in the cold heart of this monster, and hidden behind those terrifying black eyes and red irises, is his Daniel, the one that he's been in love with all these years.—onghwang tokyo ghoul au.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm writing an onghwang fic before I'm writing an ongniel fic omg?? But to be fair I really really love onghwang, even though ongniel has my heart. And this fic has a lot of ongniel in it, but it just isn't the endgame pairing, ok? I'm sorry to disappoint if that's what you came here hoping for ;-;
> 
> Anyways, I initially wanted to write a Tokyo Ghoul AU for Panwink Fic Fest, but I decided against it in favor for the Goblin AU instead. But I still wanted to write it, and I also wanted to experiment/write with a different pair than what I'm usually used to (aka Panwink). There's still Panwink in this, but it's just a side ship, there won't be much focus on them.
> 
> There's a lot of gore in this, so please be careful if that kind of stuff makes you uncomfortable! Also probably some emotional/psychological & physical abuse, so just a warning if any of that may potentially trigger you, then read with caution.
> 
> This will probably be only about three chapters? I have the rest plotted out, I just need to write it, and it'll likely be done by the end of the month, promise!
> 
> Okay, without further ado, please enjoy!'

_Ghoul terrorizes the city: 5 dead in one night._

Seongwoo looks up and reads the headlines that appear on the small television screen in front of him. The red banner catches his attention as the news reporter continues to speak.

_“Five dead--”_ she says _, “-- police still searching for a suspect.”_

Then an image of a man appears on screen, but his face is covered with a mask. The mask is made of black leather, and it's studded with spikes, red stitches over one of the eyes. It's ripped where the mouth is meant to be, and there's blood dripping down the chin. Seongwoo also notices the suspect’s hands, the blood that covers them and leaks from his fingertips.

It's a terrifying sight, and Seongwoo feels a chill in his bones.

_“If anyone has any information regarding this particular ghoul, or any ghouls at all, I encourage you to contact your local police station as soon as possible--_ ” says the man that's being interviewed. According to the banner across the bottom of the screen, he's a detective named Hwang Minhyun, both too handsome and too curious for his own good, Seongwoo thinks.

He looks away from the screen, but the same news is everywhere, in the newspaper, on the recommendation news section on his phone; he feels like he really can’t escape this, this ghoul mania that's occurring right now. Frustrated, he slams his phone against the coffee table and shuts the television off, tossing the remote somewhere that he won't remember later on. He sinks into the couch after that, rubbing at his temples.

“This is a pain..” he mutters softly to himself. 

“Hyung, you missed me so much that you started talking to yourself?”

At the sound of another voice, Seongwoo moves his hands away from his face. He knows that voice too well to even be surprised to hear him, and he only sighs into his hands before addressing him.

“Daniel. You're not being careful,” Seongwoo says. When he finally looks at him, his gaze is cold and irritated.

Daniel still has his mask on, still has blood staining the front of his shirt. When he sees Seongwoo, however, he starts removing the constricting leather from his face, to reveal soft brown locks and sunkissed skin, an innocent, bright smile as he shakes out his hair.

And it's that smile that has Seongwoo so weak, in such disbelief that someone as handsome, as charming and as cute as Daniel could even possibly be a ghoul, could possibly kill dozens in a night for the sole purpose of eating and staying alive.

But Daniel is the man in the photos. He's the one that the news has gotten ahold of, photos of his signature leather mask already circulating the internet, the newspaper, everything. He's the ghoul that killed five people last night, and he's standing right in front of him.

As he approaches, Seongwoo feels nothing. He doesn't feel fear or anxiety; instead he watches closely as Daniel’s smile turns into something playful, as Daniel seats himself in Seongwoo’s lap, straddling his waist and wrapping his arms around his neck. A breath barely escapes past his lips.

“I'm always careful, babe,” Daniel whispers as he leans in to press his mouth to Seongwoo’s ear. Seongwoo shivers.

“You're all over the news--” Seongwoo protests. “There are probably search parties going out for you.”

“They won't catch me,” Daniel says. His breath is on Seongwoo’s neck now, and as the collar of his shirt is pulled down, he can feel he gaze upon his rosy flesh.

The bastard is still hungry.

Seongwoo’s hands curve around the base of Daniel’s back as he draws him closer. By now, he knows it's practically pointless to deny Daniel, especially as he bares his teeth in an almost sinister smile.

“Mmm, are you offering yourself to me, Ong Seongwoo?”

Seongwoo frowns a little. “The least you can do is call me hyung, you brat.”

“Well, I don't mind if I do, _hyung_.”

And then Daniel is sinking his blunt teeth into Seongwoo’s shoulder, ripping the pale flesh apart. It hurts like a bitch, but Seongwoo’s learned not to scream anymore. His brows furrow in pain as he grips tightly at Daniel’s waist, and his toes curl, like it will somehow ease his suffering.

But Daniel is relentless. He feeds until Seongwoo is almost about to pass out from the pain, from all the blood that he's lost. Daniel never takes enough to kill him, just enough to remind him that he's his, that Seongwoo belongs to Daniel, no matter what.

When he's done feeding, Daniel licks at the open wound, and Seongwoo cries out at the sting. He lies him down on the couch, almost unmoving and lifeless as he patches up the wound, places a gentle, possessive kiss against his lips when he's finished.

“Mmm, my precious Seongwoo hyung..” Daniel muses, brushing his hair back. “You look so beautiful like this… You always look so beautiful like this.”

Seongwoo barely has the strength to open his eyes and look at Daniel for a few seconds. They flutter shut not long after, as Seongwoo struggles to stay awake

The last thing Seongwoo feels is Daniel popping the front of his jeans open, as he finally blacks out.

—

Daniel fucks him just like he feeds on him. It's animalistic and raw, and if Daniel really loves him, Seongwoo can't tell as he pushes his cock into his ass, groans loudly with every thrust. His shoulder rubs against the couch and it _fucking hurts_ , but Daniel likes it when he screams, so he screams for him, wrapping his arms around his neck like he desperately needs him to survive.

When he comes, Seongwoo feels euphoric, like the pleasure overwhelms the pain for a good minute or so, and he cries out Daniel’s name into the nape of his neck. Daniel laughs, and Seongwoo feels weak, and when the ghoul finally comes inside of him, he feels his body go limp once more.

“Fuck, I love you--” Daniel says, panting, sloppily dragging kisses over Seongwoo’s collarbone and up his jawline, until he's shoving his tongue down his lips. Seongwoo kisses back with whatever strength he has left in his body.

“I think you should get some rest now, babe,” Daniel says, brushing the hair that's matted to Seongwoo’s forehead out of his face. “Sleep well, okay?”

His voice is so evil, so arrogant, but Seongwoo can't help but to grin in his bliss. Daniel throws a blanket over his naked body and leaves him there with one final kiss pressed to his forehead.

Dizzy and tired, Seongwoo closes his eyes and allows himself to fall into an exhausted sleep.

—

“You look like shit.”

Seongwoo glares at his coworker Jihoon, his eyes practically shooting daggers in his direction. Jihoon holds his hands up innocently. “I’m just saying--!”

But Jihoon is right— Seongwoo looks like shit and he feels like shit too. He slept through his alarm, even though his shift begins in the middle of the day, and he skipped out on washing his face, fixing his hair up and opted to rush to work instead. In addition, his body aches, his patched up shoulder still throbbing painfully, and his legs feeling like absolute jelly with every step he takes.

Seongwoo knows Jihoon means well, as both his friend and coworker, but he still resents him for bringing it up at all. “I’m fine, really,” he lies, as he ties an apron around his waist. He really doesn't want to be at work right now and deal with shitty customers all day, but he desperately needs the money. Last month’s rent still isn't paid.

“If you say so…” Jihoon says as he takes off his apron. Seongwoo raises a brow.

“You're not working with me tonight?”

Jihoon grins and shakes his head. “Nope! I switched shifts with Woojin— my boyfriend’s back in town for the week for his winter vacation from college. I'm going to pick him up at the train station.”

“Oh-- have fun I guess then?” Seongwoo says awkwardly, but he means it. Jihoon smiles back.

“Thanks hyung, I will. Oh, can you bring this box to the freezer for me? I meant to do it earlier, but I got sidetracked--” Jihoon pats the cardboard that's sitting on the counter beside him. The package reads MEAT, in thick bold letters. Seongwoo swallows hard, his shoulder already beginning to ache just by looking at the heavy box.

“Um…” he trails off.

“Please? I already clocked out!” Jihoon asks.

Seongwoo sighs. He considers asking someone else to do it for him, but he's way too nice for that, and he ends up going to pick up the box anyways, much to Jihoon’s happiness.

“Thank you hyung--!”

But his gratitude is cut off when Seongwoo yells suddenly, and the box of meat is sent tumbling to the floor. Seongwoo doesn't even make an attempt to catch it, instead hisses in pain as he grabs at his shoulder, biting down on his lip so hard that he can taste the metallic flavor on his tongue.

“Seongwoo-hyung-!? Oh my god, shit, are you okay?!” Jihoon is at his side in a matter of seconds. His hands hover over his shoulder tentatively, like he's afraid to touch him or else he’ll break into pieces.

“I’m-- yeah, I’m fine--” Seongwoo winces, but it's obviously not enough for Jihoon.

“You're not fine-- Jisung-hyung!”

Jihoon calls over their manager, and Jisung is there in a matter of seconds. He doesn't say anything about the meat on the floor, instead goes straight to Seongwoo with a worried expression on his face.

“What happened?” Jisung asks. “Are you okay?”

“I asked him to take this back to the freezer for me but he screamed all of a sudden and dropped it! I think it's his shoulder, hyung--”

“Hyung, really I’m fine,” Seongwoo protests, trying to avoid having this confrontation. But Jisung doesn't buy it, is already trying to push the fabric of his shirt off of his shoulders.

“Ong Seongwoo, let me see--” Jisung demands. Seongwoo struggles for a moment, but Jisung easily removes it. He gasps loudly after that, gaping at Seongwoo with his mouth wide open. Jihoon too; his jaw is dropped to the floor as he stares at the injury on Seongwoo’s shoulder.

It's ugly. The bite marks aren't just purpling and bruising, but there's red and irritated flesh that looks like it's infected. Teeth marks can still be seen, and even though Seongwoo knows he's properly kept the wound treated, that Daniel’s bite technically won't infect him at all, it still looks nasty and worrisome.

“S-Seongwoo… did you get bit by a ghoul?” Jisung stutters.

_Yes_. “No,” he answers breathing heavily.

“Then what the fuck--”

“Did Daniel do it to you?”

Seongwoo freezes then, his eyes wide as he looks over at Jihoon because _Jihoon doesn't know about Daniel at all._ Sure they went to high school together, the three of them, and sure, Jihoon knows that Daniel is his boyfriend— all of his coworkers know that Daniel is his boyfriend, but Jihoon doesn't know that Daniel’s a ghoul. He especially doesn't know that he's the ghoul that's been terrorizing the town for the past few weeks. There's no way, he can't know, Seongwoo thinks.

Seongwoo can't even find words to reply, too stunned by Jihoon’s revelation. “He did, didn't he? What kind of kinky shit are you guys into!?”

At that, Seongwoo’s eyes widen before his cheeks flush red. “Jihoon, that's not--!”

“If he's going to bite you, then what the hell, he should at least properly know how to take care of it afterwards! Jesus, Seongwoo-hyung, it looks like your shoulder is going to fall off!”

Jihoon isn't wrong, his shoulder looks horrible, but Seongwoo’s just glad that Jihoon doesn't really suspect Daniel of being a ghoul. Sweet, naive and innocent Jihoon, he thinks. “I'll tell him he needs to work on it then,” Seongwoo chuckles and jokes.

“Yeah right, I’ll tell him myself, I’m going there right now,” Jihoon announces as he throws his coat on. Seongwoo’s eyes widen.

“No, you can't!” Seongwoo suddenly says. Jihoon and Jisung both blink at him in surprise.

“What do you mean I can't?”

“Uh--” Seongwoo stutters. “Niel-ah was sleeping when I left, he's probably still sleeping now. You shouldn't bother him.”

“Too bad, I’ll wake him up--”

“Jihoon, please just leave him alone.”

Seongwoo pleads, and the tone of his voice is shocking, he can tell by the way that Jihoon looks at him. He stares at him incredulously before he sighs, grabbing his things and nodding at his words.

“Fine. You know, you're acting really weird today,” Jihoon comments as he starts heading out the door. “Whatever, I need to go pick up Guanlin at the train station. See you later.”

Seongwoo breathes a sigh of relief at Jihoon’s words, watching as he leaves. That just leaves Jisung, who still looks like he doesn't trust a word that he's saying.

“Seongwoo, did Daniel really do this to you? During sex?”

Seongwoo nods, because technically it's not a lie.

Jisung stares at him before letting out a heavy sigh, tenderly releasing his arm. “Okay fine… I won't get on your case about this, but I do need you to make sure that it's properly wrapped up while you work. And no bringing out orders today either. I don't want you dropping drinks and food on customers. You can be a host today.”

At that, Seongwoo chuckles, feeling his chest get lighter. He nods in understanding. “Got it, hyung.”

“Get to work, Seongwoo.”

—

Work is slow. There's some festival in town tonight, Seongwoo finds out, so most people are there, instead of going out to restaurants like theirs for a quick bite. He's not complaining, however, because that just means less work for him and his fucked up shoulder. Part of him wants to be mad at Daniel for doing this to him, but a large part of him knows that there's no way he could hate Daniel for this.

It's frustrating, Seongwoo thinks. Daniel wasn't always like this.

He had met him in high school. Daniel had moved from Busan and transferred to his school in his second year, and they immediately hit it off. When Daniel asked him to be his boyfriend on the last day of school, he had been elated. Daniel was kind, sweet, and gentle. He loved his cats, and he loved taking Seongwoo out on spontaneous dates.

Then the ghouls started appearing. It was shocking to all, to hear of these cannibal-like creatures that were targeting innocent citizens on the streets of Seoul. Everyone was afraid.

Daniel had been attacked, but he had been lucky (at least, that's what the doctors claimed, but Seongwoo begs to differ). Someone had stopped the ghoul that attacked him from killing him, but left in critical condition, he had no choice to undergo surgery.

His Daniel died on that day. This Daniel isn't his. He's cold and sinister, and when he calls him babe, Seongwoo doesn't feel butterflies in his stomach anymore. Rather, he feels a chill run up his spine, and it's the fear in him that makes him smile and respond as if nothing is wrong. He had always been a good actor, his friends have told him.

But Seongwoo is also also afraid that it's not just the fear that keeps him attached, because when it comes down to it, Seongwoo isn't really afraid of Daniel, but he's afraid of what he is. And that's just it, what keeps Seongwoo coming back to Daniel, no matter how many scars he leaves on his body, no matter how coldly he treats him.

He keeps hoping that, somewhere, buried in the cold heart of this monster, and hidden behind those terrifying black eyes and red irises, is his Daniel, the one that he's been in love with all these years.

Seongwoo is snapped out of his thoughts when he hears the doors open, signaling a customer’s entrance. It's practically dead inside; there's a teenage couple in the corner booth and a small family of four at one of the tables, but other than that, Seongwoo’s been watching Woojin waiting on the same tables for the past three hours now. He's still got two more before his shift actually ends.

Seongwoo sighs before looking towards the door, smiling as he greets the guest that's just arrived. As he looks closer, however, he starts to realize that the customer looks oddly familiar. He's got ink black hair and eyes that are sleek, just like a fox’s. Seongwoo thinks his milky white skin is pretty, tinted a soft red from the cold outside, just like his lips that look slightly bitten. He's dressed in a nice black coat with a comfy-looking sweater underneath, and he's pretty tall too, at least, around the same height that he's at. Seongwoo gapes a little, staring at the handsome man, who looks uncertain under his gaze.

“Ah, you… You're a investigator, aren't you? Hwang Minhyun? I saw you on the news last night.”

The stranger’s face suddenly softens as he smiles a little, chuckling melodically. “Ah, yeah I am! I'm surprised you recognize me…” he says, as he sheepishly scratches at the nape of his neck. Seongwoo thinks it's impossible to forget someone this handsome.

“You're here to eat, I take it?” Seongwoo says with a soft laugh.

“Mmm.. yes? Is there something else here that I could be doing?”

Seongwoo laughs again and shakes his head. “No, not at all, just.. Give me one second, I’ll prepare you a table. Is it just you tonight?”

Minhyun nods, smiling softly. “Just me.”

Seongwoo hums and picks up a single menu from the podium, leading the other male to follow him. He doesn't take him far, just to a comfy booth where Minhyun can at least enjoy his time to himself. Part of him wants to sit down and enjoy his meal with him, but he still has a job to do, whether or not it's slow as hell. He sets the menu down in front of Minhyun before smiling at him. It's a genuine smile, however, not one that he's set aside for customers only.

“Your waiter will be with you shortly, okay? Enjoy yourself.”

Minhyun smiles back and nods at his words. “Thank you, uh…?” he trails off, looking at Seongwoo expectantly.

“Oh--” Seongwoo says suddenly. “I'm Seongwoo.”

“Seongwoo,” Minhyun says, like he's trying to test how the name sounds rolling off of his tongue. “Thank you, then, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo nods, smiling at him once more.

—

Jihoon doesn't go to the train station to pick up Guanlin right after work.

Instead, he goes to Seongwoo’s shared apartment with Daniel. He just can't ignore how strange Seongwoo’s been acting recently, not just today, but the past few weeks, too. His mood has been off; he isn't the usually cheery and warm friend that Jihoon knows him to be, and if it's really Daniel’s fault… Well then Jihoon is going to find out.

It's not like Daniel is a stranger to him anyways. Of course, he had always been closer to Seongwoo in high school, but Jihoon has had his fair share of moments with Daniel too. He still considers them friends, even if they don't hang out as nearly as much as they used to.

When he arrives at the apartment, he knocks on the front door, one, two times, waits patiently for an answer. When there's none for a few seconds, he frowns and starts pounding on the door again.

“Yah, Kang Daniel, open up! It's me, Jihoon!” he calls.

Amidst his incessant knocking, the door finally opens, and Jihoon jumps in surprise.

Daniel stands at the threshold, and the first thing Jihoon notices is how exhausted he looks too, just as Seongwoo looked when he arrived for work earlier. Was it possible that they had gotten into a big fight?

“Jihoon,” Daniel says. “What are you doing here?”

Jihoon bites his lip, looking up at the other boy. “Can I come in?”

For some reason, Daniel looks hesitant, but he lets Jihoon in anyways, stepping aside and holding the door open for him.

The first thing Jihoon notices when he arrives is how dark it is inside. Daniel has no lights on, even though it's nighttime already. Only the TV is on, and it's playing the news, something Daniel never cared to watch before.

Then he notices the stain on the seat of the couch. At first, it just looks black, like something is there on the couch. But upon further inspection, Jihoon can see the brownish, rusted red tint to it and he knows for a fact that its blood. He frowns a little, glaring at the suspicious spot.

“Can I help you, Jihoon?” Daniel suddenly says, and Jihoon suddenly spins around in surprise. Daniel is _really_ close, he thinks as he swallows hard.

“Ah--” Jihoon stutters. “I just… Seongwoo hyung was acting really weird today, and I just wanted to make sure everything was okay between the two of you… Actually he's been acting weird for a while now but…” he trails off, scratching sheepishly at the back of his neck, unable to look his friend in the eye.

“Oh?” Daniel says, raising a brow. “He's been fine at home though? Maybe work just stresses him out.”

Jihoon raises a brow suspiciously, his eyes darting around the room. “Yeah but… Are you sure there's nothing wrong? Seongwoo had a really bad bite on his shoulder today too. You're not hurting him, are you?”

“Jihoon, you know I wouldn't hurt him, what the fuck?” Daniel says incredulously, and Jihoon actually flinches in surprise. This isn't the Daniel he knows. “What did he say?”

“Nothing!” Jihoon sputters. “He just said you guys got really into it and then…” As he speaks, his eyes keep looking around the room, because he really can't bring himself to look at Daniel right now. His fists are clenched tight and he's stiff as the much taller, stronger looking male stands before him with his arms crossed, flaring down at him expectantly.

And that's when Jihoon sees it.

There, resting on one of the chairs in the dining room is a small piece of leather fabric. He can see the red stitching on it, the eye holes, and Jihoon just _knows_. He can't hide his emotions either, too overcome with shock as his eyes widen and his entire body goes numb.

Daniel notices too, when Jihoon looks over. Whatever fake expression he's got on, it suddenly fades away. He's scowling now, and Jihoon watches as the whites of his eyes suddenly go black, as the irises turn a bright red. “God, Jihoon…” Daniel suddenly says. “You're just always too curious for your own good.”

Then something starts growing out of Daniel’s back. There's a sickening crunching sound, and Jihoon watches as what looks like red tentacles start to grow, only these are much sharper, and they glow, practically dripping with venom and screaming danger, but Jihoon is frozen with fear.

He's not even paying attention when Daniel suddenly curls a hand around his neck, cutting off any air. Jihoon chokes as Daniel lifts him off the ground like he weighs nothing, tosses him across the room like a rag doll. He cries out in pain when he slams into the wall, and he hears a loud crack when he falls down on to the floor.

Jihoon struggles to push himself up at all after that, his entire body aching in pain. He's going to die like this, he thinks, because he couldn't mind his own damn business.

Still, when he manages to look up and meet Daniel’s dark eyes, he's filled with fear. He doesn't want to die. “Please, Daniel, don't do this… I won't tell anyone, just please…”

But Daniel doesn't listen. One of the tentacles sprouting from Daniel's back reaches out to grab Jihoon by his neck again, and before he can even feel the air being cut off, something sharp pierces his stomach, and he suddenly can't breathe at all.

Blood. There's so much blood; Jihoon vomits the red fluid all over the front of his shirt as he struggles to breathe. He can feel his heart in his chest as it fights to keep beating, but it's so faint, he really is going to die like this.

Daniel lies him down then, and he hears footsteps as he approaches, hovering over him with a malicious smile on his lips. Jihoon whines as he coughs up more blood and struggles to keep his eyes open. “Daniel… Please--...”

“Mmmm… I didn't even have to leave the house for a meal tonight.”

Jihoon’s vision starts to go black then, and the last thing he sees is Daniel descending, his teeth bared and his eyes glowing a violent red.

“ _JIHOON_!”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally supposed to be up yesterday, but because of recent tragic events, I decided to postpone its upload, especially due to the way that this chapter ends. It's a very very big cliffhanger, and it may be triggering to a few, so please be careful when reading it. 
> 
> That being said, I just wanted to further say that I hope that everyone takes care of themselves, and that everyone also does their best to take care of each other. It's not hard to be a good person. Be kind. I'm here for anyone if they need to talk; and even if it's too hard for you to talk too, that's okay too. But please remember that there will always be people that love you and care about you.
> 
> Here's the next chapter for you; I also may have added another chapter to this, so it may be 4 chapters instead of 3 now orz

“Daniel, stop, _stop_ , he's going to die--”

Seongwoo doesn't even flinch when Daniel suddenly peers over his shoulder and looks at him, ravenous eyes full of murderous intent. If he hears what Seongwoo says, he doesn't show it, only barring his teeth at Seongwoo, almost as if he’s threatening him now too.

But Seongwoo stands his ground, approaching very carefully. His eyes flicker between Daniel and Jihoon, and, _oh god_ , there's so much blood. Jihoon isn't going to make it, Seongwoo isn't even sure a miracle will do anything for him. He wants to cry, but instead he just takes a deep breath, looking back up at Daniel again.

“Daniel, please… Come back…”

Seongwoo gets close enough to put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, and apparently it's enough, because suddenly the black in the whites of Daniel’s eyes disappears, and his irises are a deep brown again. He stares at Seongwoo in confusion, furrowing his brows a little.

“Seongwoo?”

And as quickly as Seongwoo had brought up his façade of composure, he suddenly breaks down, clinging to the ghoul helplessly. “Daniel, we have to help Jihoon, he's going to fucking die--”

Daniel blinks before he looks over at Jihoon's limp body, covered in blood with a hole in his stomach. He looks like an absolute goner; Seongwoo sees Daniel scowl.

“He knows now, I can't trust him,” Daniel says, and Seongwoo frowns.

“He's your fucking friend! He wouldn't tell anyone! Fuck, Daniel--” he says, bringing his hands to his hair and tugging at the strands, threatening to yank them out in his frustration.

“What are you even gonna do? You can't call an ambulance, they’ll see this mess and then I’m fucked--”

Seongwoo shakes his head, thinking too hard. He makes the decision on his own, while Daniel isn’t being pretty hostile. Seongwoo carefully goes to Jihoon’s side and starts to pick him up. The scent of blood is so nauseous, but Seongwoo bears with it, wraps a horrible make shift bandage around his waist before he lifts him carefully, glaring at Daniel behind him.

“Help me--!” he cries, and Daniel opens the door for him. Seongwoo is careful as he lies him in the back of the car, with Daniel right before him. He frowns at the ghoul, pointing a finger at his chest.

“Clean up, then be at the hospital right away,” Seongwoo demands. He's not necessarily in a position to be ordering Daniel around, but he knows just as well as Daniel does that this won't end well at all for him if he kills both him and Jihoon. It would also look bad if he didn't show up at the hospital either.

Daniel grits his teeth before trudging back into the apartment, and Seongwoo desperately starts the engine of his car, rushes off to the hospital as fast as he can. He glances back at Jihoon in the back seat, who looks incredibly and sickeningly pale by now.

“Fuck, Jihoon, just hang in there-- please…”

—

Jihoon’s heartbeat is incredibly slow; the monitor beeps in such an irregular pattern that Seongwoo worries that his heart has stopped all together every now and then.

But somehow, Jihoon’s survived. The doctors explain that his bowel had been punctured, and because of the bacteria there, Jihoon could have died quickly because of infection, loss of too much blood. But he had been lucky that Seongwoo had taken him to the hospital so quickly and gave him the proper surgery. Jihoon is guaranteed to live, but even so, seeing him makes Seongwoo’s heart ache.

He's still pale, lips chapped and his skin looking like it's been drained of blood altogether. And he looks cold; if it weren't for the very slight rise and fall of his chest, the monitor in the corner of the room displaying his heart rate, Seongwoo would think that he's dead already.

Seongwoo claims that it was a ghoul attack, and that he had found Jihoon bleeding out on his way home from work. No one questions that, and that leaves a sour taste in his mouth, the fact that ghoul attacks have become the norm around here that no one even questions his story, or his own alibis.

His coworkers arrive. Jisung brings flowers, and Woojin brings a teddy bear in pink pajamas. They say hello to a sleeping Jihoon before heading to the waiting room and staying there, like they're expecting Jihoon to wake at any moment.

The real heartbreak comes when Jihoon’s boyfriend arrives. Lai Guanlin is tall and handsome, looks like a respectable young man, but the second he sees Jihoon lying in that hospital bed, he loses it, tears streaming down his cheeks as he goes to his side and holds his cold hand in his. Seongwoo just pats his back awkwardly to comfort him, but he really feels sorry for him. He remembers Jihoon telling him that he was supposed to meet him at the train station to pick him up. If only he hadn't made an extra stop along the way.

He decides to give Jihoon some time alone with his boyfriend, quietly closing the door behind him.

In the waiting room, he looks around for Daniel, but he isn't here yet. His coworkers have gone home too, and the only people left are strangers, except for one strangely familiar, male standing alone in the corner of the room.

Seongwoo raises a brow in surprise. “Hwang Minhyun?”

The detective that Seongwoo had met earlier looks up at the sound of his own name, and he blinks at the sight of him. Then he smiles softly in recognition. “Hey, I remember you. What are you doing here?”

Seongwoo steps closer, sheepish and still feeling rather worn out. “Ah my friend… He was attacked by a ghoul.”

Immediately, Minhyun’s expression changes into something that's more serious, and Seongwoo wonder if he should have lied to Minhyun. Especially when he knows that he's seeking information about ghouls.

“Attack? Where?” Minhyun asks, obviously alerted.

Seongwoo stutters a little. “Um, I can't remember? On my way home--? He was just bleeding so much, I really thought he was going to die, and the details kind of just fade into the background…” At least he's a good liar, Seongwoo thinks. Minhyun looks at him in concern, but nods anyways.

“Ah, I see… You didn't happen to see the face or the mask of the ghoul? They don't usually leave their prey half-dead, you know..” Minhyun states.

“It was the one that's been on the news lately. The one with the leather mask,” Seongwoo says. It’d be too suspicious to say he hadn't seen a ghoul at all. And it's not like Minhyun knows that ghoul is Daniel. This isn't something that would kill him to say.

“Thought so…” Minhyun says.

“Actually, what are you doing here?” Seongwoo finally finds a way to change the subject. “You heard it was a ghoul attack?”

Minhyun looks up at him, nodding a little. “Yes, but also… I think your friend that was attacked? He's actually my brother’s boyfriend.”

At that, Seongwoo raises a brow in surprise. “Guanlin is your brother?”

“Half,” Minhyun replies. “We adopted him when he was young. He's really.. I had to pick him up from the train station and tell him the news as I brought him here. He was really distraught.”

Seongwoo’s heart suddenly hurts again, thinking of the pain Guanlin must’ve gone through as he wondered if his boyfriend had survived the ghoul attack or not. Of course, Seongwoo had been worried too, that he was going to lose one of his best friends, but… No one deserves to go through this kind of torture, to live in fear of this kind of attack.

 _This is Daniel’s fault_ , a voice in the back of his head reminds him, but no, it can't be Daniel’s fault. Daniel never wanted to become a ghoul, never wanted to be something that fueled people’s nightmares. He couldn't betray him like this. It's not fair--

“Seongwoo--?”

The brunet is suddenly snapped from his thoughts, looking up at Minhyun with wide eyes. The detective looks worried. “You okay? You zoned out for a moment there…”

Seongwoo just stares for a moment. Minhyun’s eyes are warm, and the concern in them somehow quells the loud voices in his head, the anxious thoughts that make him dig his fingernails into his palm. He nods softly. “Mmm, I'm okay--”

“Seongwoo.”

Another voice calling his name. But this one isn't as warm, as much as he wishes for it to be.

He turns around, and there's Daniel, standing there with his hands in his pockets and a bored look on his face. He doesn't even look apologetic, doesn't look worried about his friend that's in the emergency room, and the voice in Seongwoo’s head tell him to smack that look off of his face.

“Daniel,” he says, turning to face his boyfriend. “You're here. Did you see Jihoon…?”

Daniel nods. “I did. But he's sleeping and his boyfriend is in there, so I left.” Then, he glances up at Minhyun. The glare he gives him is anything but friendly. “Who's this?”

Minhyun doesn't look to thrilled to see Daniel either. He eyes him up and down, and Seongwoo half worries that Minhyun somehow suspects him, but then he just extends his hand, offering it to Daniel. “I’m Minhyun. My brother’s partner was attacked by a ghoul, so I brought him here.”

Across from him, Daniel just stares at the hand that's offered to him. Then, after what seems like an eternity to Seongwoo, Daniel throws his arm around Seongwoo’s waist and tugs him away, ignoring Minhyun all together. Seongwoo gasps in surprise as he's suddenly being dragged away.

“Let’s go home,” Daniel says. Seongwoo doesn't want to; he wants to stay, make sure that Jihoon will be okay through the night, make sure that his boyfriend will be okay too. But mostly, he wants to talk to Minhyun a little longer, apologize for the way Daniel blatantly ignores him, how he suddenly leaves without a word himself. Seongwoo only glances back, catches the confused look on Minhyun's face as the distance between them grows and grows, then a door slamming behind them that finally brings him out of sight.

Daniel doesn't play nice anymore after that. “You were flirting with him.” It's a statement, not a question.

“I wasn't--” Seongwoo protests, but Daniel silences him with a slight tug to his waist.

“You belong to _me_ ,” Daniel says, and fear settles in Seongwoo’s chest. He swallows and nods.

He would always belong to Kang Daniel.

Seongwoo follows Daniel’s car home from the hospital, driving back in his own car and parking further than usual from their apartment complex; his usual parking space has been taken by someone while he was gone. He's glad to see that the apartment is clean at least, not a speck of blood to be seen on the walls or carpets. But he still feels anxious.

Daniel doesn't care, however. He doesn't care that one of their best friends are in the hospital because of him, doesn't care that his boyfriend is fucking afraid of him. He just pins Seongwoo to the wall, smirking when his head smacks harshly against it and forcing his tongue past his lips in a hot, heated kiss.

Daniel fucks him that night, but it's not the usual rough, unrelenting sex that makes Seongwoo hurt. Instead, Daniel touches him in a way that makes him feel like he's loved, worships his body as he shoves his cock into him, whispering how beautiful he is, how his and only his, and when he comes, he kisses Seongwoo like he used to, before all of this mess happened.

And Seongwoo cries; he hates it, as Daniel holds his naked body close as he sleeps. Daniel keeps giving him reasons to stay, reasons to believe that his Daniel truly is in there… Somewhere.

—

“You and Daniel really are something…”

Seongwoo blinks up at Sungwoon as he speaks, his eyes wide with confusion. He's just clocked in for a early morning shift at work.

“Come on, don't think I didn't see the way you limped in this morning,” his coworker and friend says. “Jihoon’s in the hospital, and you guys really fucked last night.”

His words make Seongwoo glare at him long and hard. “Jihoon being in the hospital doesn't mean I can't fuck my boyfriend--” he argues.

“I don't know,” Sungwoon says. “Shouldn't that be a thing? No sex out of respect for your friend that nearly died last night?”

Seongwoo throws a notepad at him, but Sungwoon easily dodges it, smirking. “You missed.”

“Shut the fuck up. And can we not talk about Jihoon right now? Unless it's good news, I don't really want to talk about what happened. And that's because you're so short, my aim was off--”

“Hey!” Sungwoon protests, but only rolls his eyes in response, shoving Sungwoon out of the way so he can clock out. “Whatever. Maybe don't wait on tables tonight so not every customer knows that you had the ride of your life last night. See ya, Ong!”

Seongwoo makes a face at him as he leaves, fixing up his work uniform and an putting on an apron, exiting the back room and heading to his spot as host for the day.

On his way out, however, he crashes straight into another person, a little gasp escaping from his lips as he keeps himself balanced, legs still aching a little in pain. The person he sees when he looks up is definitely not who he had been expecting to see.

“Minhyun?” Seongwoo says.

Hwang Minhyun blinks at him before sheepishly rubbing at the back of his head. “Sorry, didn't mean to crash into you, just wanted to ask an employee if you were here, and just my luck, right? Heh…”

Seongwoo raises a brow. “You were looking for me?”

Somehow, that gets Minhyun to straighten up a little, nodding and regaining his composure. “Yeah, I was. You said you saw the ghoul that attacked Jihoon yesterday, right? I just wanted to ask some follow up questions. You know, to confirm some things. Maybe you could help catch this ghoul.”

Seongwoo suddenly freezes a little; as much as he wants to help Minhyun, he can't betray Daniel like this, and as good as he is at acting, he’ll eventually crack, and he knows it. Minhyun is looking at him expectantly, and Seongwoo feels choked up, looks around wearily, hoping that one of his coworkers will somehow save him, tell Minhyun to leave, _something_. But he soon realizes that he's on his own on this one, and he mentally curses.

“I told you everything I know though…” Seongwoo says, feigning confusion and scratching behind his ear.

“Yes I know, but… There are some other questions I have to ask you, and I’d appreciate it if you cooperated,” Minhyun says. His voice is much more serious this time around, and it's a stark contrast to the casual tone that Seongwoo has grown accustomed to in the short time he's known him.

Seongwoo bites his lip in hesitation, looking down at Minhyun’s shiny shoes. He probably looks suspicious, refusing to talk like this, but he can't. He can't give Daniel away.

“I--... Can it wait, at least? Until I'm done with my shift here?” Seongwoo asks, pursing his lips a little. Minhyun nods.

“Of course. Whenever works for you, but the sooner the better.” Then, the detective pulls out a small business card, holding it out to Seongwoo. “Call me when you're ready to talk, okay?”

Seongwoo takes the card, shoving it in his back pocket and nods. “Okay, I will… Thank you.”

Minhyun smiles, then waves goodbye, walking out the front entrance. Seongwoo feels the business card burning in his back pocket all day.

—

None of Seongwoo’s customers notice the way he walks stranglely as he leads them to their seats, or if they do, they don't comment on it, which honestly, he's really grateful for. It makes his day a lot easier, and when his shift finally ends, he finds himself sitting in the front seat of his car, staring at the business card that Minhyun gave him earlier today.

It's simple; a black card with white words and an intricate font. _Hwang Minhyun, detective_. It reads. And then his phone number is there, along with an email and some other information on how to reach him. Seongwoo stares at the hangul of his name for a long time before moving to the number, finally deciding to type it into his phone before he's sliding it back into his back pocket and making his way back home.

The drive is short; there's no traffic, and he arrives at his apartment in no time. Through the window, he can see a light that's still on, meaning Daniel is still awake. He fits the key into the slot, twisting it and entering somewhat cautiously, looking around for Daniel before he finally finds him lounging on the couch and boredly watching se TV show.

Seongwoo smiles softly, drops his things to the floor before he's sitting on the couch beside Daniel, pecking him softly on the cheek. “Hi babe. I'm home.”

The kiss makes his boyfriend smile, grinning over at Seongwoo before throwing an arm around him. He pulls Seongwoo close, his head resting against his shoulder before he leans in, gently bumping their heads together.

“Mmmm, my love. How was work?” Daniel asks.

“Good. Slow,” he replies, closing his eyes as he relaxes into Daniel’s embrace. He likes when it's like this, when Daniel is sweet, asks him how his day was, what kinds of things happened to him..

“Sounds nice,” Daniel comments. When Seongwoo opens his eyes and looks up at him, he's glancing out the window, at the setting sun that's making  
room in the sky for the stars. Seongwoo frowns, knowing full well what that means.

“Are you going feeding tonight?” he asks, and Daniel nods. “Don't. Stay here with me tonight.”

“Can't. Too hungry,” Daniel says, softly stroking Seongwoo's hair. It's so calming and nice, Seongwoo thinks. “Maybe another night, love.”

But Seongwoo shakes his head, sitting up, much to Seongwoo’s dismay. “You mean Jihoon didn't make you full enough?” -- Daniel growls -- “Come on, just tonight. For me?”

Seongwoo’s not really sure what flip turns on inside of him, but he's suddenly crawling over Daniel’s lap and straddling it, pushing his younger lover back into the sofa and bringing his arms around his neck. He smiles sultrily at him, leaning in with his breath hot on his lips. “Stay with me,” he whispers.

Beneath him, Daniel looks amused, grinning up at his lover before a big hand finally comes to curl around his neck. “You're a tease,” he says, before leaning in to kiss Seongwoo’s soft, beautiful lips.

Kissing Daniel is heaven, Seongwoo thinks, especially as he meshes their lips so perfectly. Daniel is so good at kissing him, it must be illegal, and Seongwoo always wants more. As the kiss becomes more heated, he feels Daniel’s tongue running along his lips, and Seongwoo easily parts them, granting access to his hot, wet mouth.

Seongwoo groans, and Daniel shifts uncomfortably underneath him. Their tongues slide together, swirling before Daniel’s actually sucking his tongue into his mouth, and Seongwoo makes a noise at the back of his theist. Daniel grins at the reaction it gets from him, and he tries it again, before he runs his tongue over Seongwoo’s teeth.

“So fucking hot,” Daniel whispers against his lips before he's kissing him again. While he can only keep his hands around Daniel’s neck, Daniel slides his hands down, from Seongwoo’s hips to the curve of his ass, squeezing the round flesh through the fabric of Seongwoo’s trousers.

When Daniel pulls away, Seongwoo is breathless, and Daniel… Daniel is too quiet, he realizes. As he finally regains his senses, he looks up at his boyfriend in confusion.

Daniel is holding up a little black card between his index and middle finger, and Seongwoo’s eyes widen complete, utter shock.

 _Fuck_ , Seongwoo thinks to himself. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..!_

“Hwang Minhyun?” Daniel asks. He tries to meet Seongwoo’s eyes, but he can't look at him at all. “The same Minhyun at the hospital yesterday?”

Seongwoo swallows hard. He's speechless, and he really doesn't know what to say. Beneath him, Daniel just rolls his eyes. “Pathetic,” he says before he reads the card apart. Seongwoo winces, but at least he's already got the number saved on his phone.

Then Daniel’s shoving Seongwoo off of him; the older male topples to the couch, and he watches as Daniel collects his mask, hiding it away. Seongwoo frowns, not moving one step from the couch, but the disappointment is still there. Daniel’s going out to kill, and there's nothing he can do about it but beg.

“Seriously Daniel, please not tonight,” he pleads. “Just stay here with me. No more killing, not for a while, okay? I just want--”

“Don't talk to that Minhyun guy,” Daniel says, cutting Seongwoo off mid sentence. He's already at the door, handle in his hand, and a look in his eyes that makes Seongwoo’s heart sink. “If I catch you, it's over.”

With that, Daniel leaves, and Seongwoo is left all alone once again. He glances over at the ripped up pieces of Minhyun’s business card; it's in so many pieces that it's practically futile to try and put it back together again. So instead, he pulls out his phone and looks at the contact information as it appears on the little screen in front of him.

For some reason, he's tempted to call at this very moment. It's a stupid idea, especially with Daniel’s warning still ringing fresh in his ears. What does it’s over even mean..? Still, there's this hurt in his chest from being rejected that he still feels, and Minhyun.. at least he likes Minhyun’s company. The detective is charming somehow, and it makes Seongwoo feel calm in his presence, despite his profession and the fact that he really hasn't known him that long.

For the longest time, Seongwoo’s fingers hover over the call button. _He really shouldn't_. But he wants to. His fingers are practically itching to hit call, and finally, after much deliberation, he presses the button, anxiously bringing his phone to his ear. It rings, and he resists the urge to bite his nails.

“Hwang Minhyun, can I ask who's calling?”

“Minhyun, it's me, can I come over?”

—

It's late when Seongwoo arrives at Hwang Minhyun’s apartment, almost 10 PM. The city is still awake, but he isn't used to being out this late, especially not at the home of someone he hardly knows.

But Minhyun is inviting. When he arrives, he's dressed so casually in a long sleeved shirt and a pair of grey sweats, a pair of black glasses resting upon his nose. The fit is so different than what he's used to seeing on him that he almost forgets that he's a detective.

“Seongwoo,” he says with a smile, moving out of the doorway. “Come in.”

Seongwoo smiles back, and as he walks in, he notices how nice Minhyun’s apartment actually is. It's much nicer than his shared apartment with Daniel, which still looks like two broke college students own the place. Minhyun’s apartment is something straight from a home-living magazine, with rich wooden tables and chairs, a plush couch in the living room and flat screen TV, as well as a few candles that light an otherwise dim room.

“Your place is nice…” Seongwoo comments and Minhyun beams.

“Thanks. One of my friends Minki helped decorate it when I first moved in,” he explains. “Do you want coffee or tea? Anything to drink?”

“Tea sounds nice…” he replies as he takes a seat at the dinner table.

“Tea it is!”

He sits there quietly as Minhyun brews the tea. He can't help but notice how sophisticated he looks like this. Seongwoo feels a little out of place, because the lifestyle feels so different than his own… But it's not a bad difference, he decides. Not a bad difference at all.

“Here--” Minhyun says as he sets a cup of tea in front of him, one for himself too as he sits across from him at the dinner table.

“Thank you,” Seongwoo grins, taking a little sip.

“You're welcome… So why did you want to come so suddenly? I honestly expected it to be a couple of days before you actually came to speak to me.”

Seongwoo purses his lips, looking down at the wooden table for a moment before looking back up st the other male. “It’s.. complicated, I guess…” That's all he can really think of to say.

“Complicated?” Minhyun asks. Seongwoo notices how perfectly his hands fit around his mug. “How is it complicated?”

“I guess…” he begins, uncertain of what to say. “I guess I'm just in a tough spot right now.”

At this, Minhyun’s expression changes a little, like he's trying to understand what Seongwoo’s saying. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I want to tell you, but I really can't.”

Minhyun frowns at this a little. “Ah, well that's disappointing. What can't you tell me?”

Seongwoo looks down again. “Can't say…”

Finally, Minhyun sighs. “If you know anything about ghouls in this area, I really need you to tell me, Seongwoo. It's really important.”

And he _wants_ to tell him. But he can't. He just can't, unless he wants something bad to happen to his Daniel. Seongwoo really can't bare the thought.

“It's… It's not about ghouls,” he finally says. A big fat lie. But it still catches the other of guard, and Seongwoo watches the look of confusion wash over his perfect face.

“No? What is it, then?”

Minhyun is kinda close, Seongwoo realizes. He leans over the table, like he's expecting him to do the same so he can tell him some kind of secret. But instead, the closeness just makes his heart jump a little. He needs to make something up.

“Actually, I just came here for you…”

He feels Minhyun tense in front of him, and when their eyes suddenly meet, Seongwoo feels a chill run up his spine. Have Minhyun’s feline eyes always been this alluring and intimidating?

“Ong Seongwoo,” he says. “Stop bluffing.”

Seongwoo swallows hard, furrowing his brow. “I'm not bluffing,” he says, pushing his chair back, and stepping out of it. It's like something has possessed him, because Seongwoo hasn't had a lick to drink today, so he's not intoxicated. He just suddenly feels drawn to Minhyun, and whether he's even acting anymore… He doesn't really know. Seongwoo stares down at Minhyun, eyes lidded before he pushes his chair out a little and sits in Minhyun's lap. “I seriously came here for you.”

Minhyun however, is unreadable. Seongwoo had expected uneasiness, uncertainty, but the detective hardly flinches, and Seongwoo had to focus hard to even notice the hollow breath he takes as grins forward towards his crotch.

“You're drunk,” Minhyun finally says.

At that, Seongwoo shakes his head. “Negative, I’m totally sober.”

He can tell that Minhyun totally doesn't believe it, if the look on his face is any indication of that. “Then why are you _really_ here, Seongwoo? And don't say it's just for me. What's wrong? Are you having problems with your boyfriend?”

Seongwoo bites his lip a little, the mood in the room suddenly changing. Is it okay to tell him about Daniel…? Maybe not about him being a ghoul, but…

He takes a deep breath, and. then he finally nods, looking up at Minhyun. “Yeah… Yeah, we’re not really talking right now, and I just didn't want to be home right now, so…”

“So you came here?” Minhyun says incredulously. “You hardly know me.”

Seongwoo chuckles softly, shrugging in response. “I know. But I wanted to come here, for some reason.”

Minhyun goes silent at that, and the look on his face is unreadable. He simply looks down and stirs his tea a little, before deciding he doesn't want anymore, standing and going to dump it in the sink. Then he turns to Seongwoo again. “Well in that case, I guess I’ll get the couch set up for you.”

It's not like Seongwoo had been hoping Minhyun would take pity on him and let him stay at his apartment, but the fact that he actually has… He can't help but to smile happily at the other male. “Ah, thank you…”

Minhyun only smiles back before disappearing into the hallway.

He returns a few minutes later with some pillows and blankets. Seongwoo is just about done with his tea when Minhyun finishes up, standing there and admiring his own handiwork. “It's a bit chilly out here, so I grabbed a few more blankets than usual, okay? Let me know if you need anything.”

Minhyun smiles so kindly at him after that Seongwoo feels his heart flutter a little; he smiles back, offering a little bow in his gratitude. “Thank you. Means a lot to me.”

The other males pats his shoulder gently, before he's heading back into the hallway again. “Sleep tight, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo watches him leave, up until the very moment that he can't see him anymore. His gaze still lingers after that for a moment longer, before he's finally tucking himself into bed, turning the lamp off so he can sleep comfortably in the dark.

At home, he never sleeps soundly, only when he's too tired to do anything else. But tonight, he falls asleep once he hits the pillow.

And for once, he doesn't dream about a Kang Daniel that he had fallen in love with, so far away and out of reach, replaced with some monster that he does not know. In fact, he doesn't dream of Kang Daniel at all on this night.

Instead, he sees sleek, fox-like eyes and ink black hair, smiling at him and making his heart feel warm.

—

When Seongwoo wakes in the morning, it's to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The scent immediately has him stirring a little, pushing himself up on the couch underneath the piles of blankets.

Sure enough, Minhyun is in the kitchen; Seongwoo thinks he looks cute in his cheesy pink apron that reads “Kiss the Cook” as he fries eggs on a frying pan. He grins softly, mumbling in a tired voice. “Nice apron.”

Minhyun’s head suddenly shoots up in surprise when he hears Seongwoo's voice. His lips curl into a soft smile as he laughs embarrassedly. “A friend got it for me as a housewarming gift…”

“It suits you,” Seongwoo jokes, still looking up at him. Minhyun chuckles in response.

“Good morning to you too, Seongwoo. I hope you like coffee, eggs, and rice. That's all I really have to make right now, I've been a little busy recently…” Minhyun says, sheepishly scratching his cheek.

“Ah, no don't worry!” Seongwoo reassures him. “It sounds perfect.”

At that, Minhyun smiles before going back to cooking without another word to Seongwoo. Seongwoo smiles to himself too for a moment. He contemplates whether he should start folding blankets now too, or if he should wait just a little longer. Eventually, he settles on just lying there with his eyes closed, waiting for breakfast to be done.

Then his phone rings.

It's not a simple notification tune; the ringtone goes off, and the device is just barely out of his reach. Seongwoo stretches his arm out to reach it from where it sits on the coffee table, not even bothering to look at the caller ID when he puts it to his ear and answers.

“Hello?” he says groggily.

 _“Seongwoo, where are you?_ ” Jisung.

Seongwoo swallows a little. “Ah, I’m out… What's wrong hyung? You sound worried.”

_“You need to get to the hospital now. Jihoon’s heart stopped.”_

And then Seongwoo’s phone clatters to the wooden floors.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk to me on twitter: @wannabyui


	3. Chapter 3

The pristine, white hallways of the hospital feel like they're miles long, especially as Seongwoo stumbles through them mindlessly, ignoring every nurse and doctor that help him try and find his way. All he can think about is  _ Jihoon,  _ and how he's probably dead and how it's his fault--

 

Minhyun is right behind him, calling out his name in an attempt to calm him down. But his words fall on deaf ears as he finally pushes his way into Jihoon’s room. The world spins as he steadies himself on his own two feet.

 

Relief washes over him suddenly, because Jihoon is still there. And he's still alive. The heart monitor is weak again, but it shows that his heart is beating. Seongwoo wants to cry out, still struggling to catch his breath. But thank god he's still alive.

 

“Excuse me sir?” 

 

A voice suddenly chimes in and Seongwoo turns abruptly. There's a doctor standing at the threshold, and he doesn't look too please. “You shouldn't be here right now.”

 

Seongwoo swallows. Right. Jihoon is still probably recovering from whatever incident had occurred. He hadn't even thought about that. But just seeing Jihoon there… It's a relief, he thinks, and he's able to come back to his senses a little, following the doctor as he leads him out of the room and into the waiting room.

 

“Why.. what happened? Why did his heart suddenly stop?” Seongwoo asks as they walk. He's afraid to hear the answer, but he has to know.

 

“We don't really know,” the doctor says, clutching a clipboard underneath his arm. “We think asphyxiation, but we can't be sure. The patient was fine one moment, and the next an emergency team was being rushed into the room. Luckily we were able to resuscitate him and get his heart going again.”

 

Seongwoo frowns. “Asphyxiation?”

 

The doctor nods in response. “Lack of oxygen. We don't know what could've caused it, though… It's really strange.”

 

But Seongwoo doesn't catch the last of the doctor’s words, because just then, another figure comes into view. Just over his shoulder, he spots ashy hair and a tall frame, dark eyes that glare at him, taunting him from afar.

 

Daniel.

 

And in that moment, Seongwoo doesn't feel fear. He only feels rage and betrayal, as he pushes past the doctor, pacing quickly towards Daniel, who stands unwavering in his spot. “ _ You--” _

 

“Sir--!”

 

“You fucking did this!” Seongwoo shouts angrily, grasping at the collar of Daniel’s shirt. It doesn't even matter that Daniel is much stronger than him physically, the mere force of Seongwoo’s shove has Daniel against a wall as his boyfriend seethes at him, barring his teeth in his frustration. “How could you? He's our fucking friend!”

 

Daniel however, looks unfazed. His muscles are still relaxed, even as Seongwoo pushes him further against the wall. In fact, he fucking  _ smirks,  _ and Seongwoo wants so badly to just slap that stupid look off of his stupidly handsome, evil face--

 

“I told you not to disobey me,” Daniel says, and Seongwoo watches as his eyes glance over at Minhyun, who's simply staring there in shock.

 

“Leave him out of this,” Seongwoo hisses. “Leave Jihoon out of this, fuck leave our friends out of this, Daniel! They care about you! They would never betray you like you've betrayed them--”

 

“Excuse me sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

 

Seongwoo’s breath is heavy now, and the doctor’s hand on his shoulder is like a splash of cold water to his face. As he loosens his hold on Daniel’s shirt, he sees now, the dark, murderous look in Daniel’s eyes, and he realizes the weight of his words, everything that he's just said, and… Oh god… Does everyone know now?

 

He looks around; Minhyun, Jisung, Woojin, Sungwoon, Guanlin… They all stand there, alarmed and shocked. He can see the fear in Guanlin’s eyes, and the worry in Jisung’s, but Minhyun.. Minhyun  _ knows.  _

 

Seongwoo swallows hard and turns back to Daniel. It's the same look. Cold, heartless, and terrifying eyes looking back at him.

 

He trembles under that gaze. 

 

“Sir--” the doctor repeats himself, and it startles him as he looks back, meeting his eyes. “Please leave before I have to call security.”

 

Slowly, Seongwoo nods. He doesn't want to leave, he  _ can't  _ leave, not when Daniel is still here, and his  _ friends  _ are still here. But what other choice does he have?

 

“I'll.. I’ll lead him out,” Minhyun suddenly speaks, bowing to the doctor and placing a hand on Seongwoo’s shoulder. “I apologize for this disturbance, doctor. It won't happen again.”

 

The doctor simply shoos them off, and Minhyun leads Seongwoo back down the corridor that they arrived through.

 

When Seongwoo looks behind him, Daniel is nowhere to be seen.

 

The walk to the car feels like it's miles long. Seongwoo’s heart aches as he leaves the hospital, hopping into the passenger’s seat of Minhyun’s car. He's just left his friends alone with the most dangerous creature in all of Seoul. A sigh of frustration passes his lips, and he buries his face into his hands.

 

Beside him, Minhyun is silent, but Seongwoo knows there's so much that he wants to stay. Seconds pass, and then minutes, before he finally opens his mouth, his voice steady, but still laced with uncertainty.

 

“Why didn't you tell me?”

 

Seongwoo exhales. He had been hoping it would never have to come to this, but with so much on the line, his hands are tied. “Because--” he begins, voice cracked and broken. “Because I love him.”

 

More silence. And then Minhyun speaks again. “It's him, isn't it? Daniel is the ghoul in the leather mask.”

 

Seongwoo nods, and Minhyun lets out a heavy sigh. 

 

“I'm sorry,” Seongwoo says, like sorry will fix everything, like sorry will bring Jihoon out of the hospital and keep their friends safe, but Seongwoo doesn't really know what else to say at this point. He's ashamed and hurt, still trying to gather all the pieces together.

 

“Okay…” Minhyun says. “Okay, just let me…” 

 

The investigator takes out his phone then and quickly dials a number. He puts it on speaker, and Seongwoo can hear the dial tone as it rings. He looks over curiously, reading the name that's in the screen.

 

Lai Guanlin.

 

“Guanlin?” Minhyun says when he answers.

 

_ “Hyung?” _

 

“Guanlin, are you alone right now?” he asks, holding the phone close to his lips.

 

_ “I-- give me just one second… Okay, yeah. I'm alone now.” _

 

“Are you positive?”

 

_ “Positive.” _

 

“Guanlin, I need you to listen to me,” Minhyun begins carefully. “Is Daniel around?”

 

_ “He's not. He disappeared when you left with Seongwoo-hyung.” _

 

“Good. Then you need to get out of there and get somewhere safe.”

 

On the other line, Guanlin sputters.  _ “What? What do you mean?” _

 

“Guanlin, Daniel is a ghoul,” Minhyun says, dropping the truth like a bomb. “He's the one that attacked Jihoon, and the same one that's been terrorizing Seoul for months now. You need to get somewhere safe.”

 

There's a pause, like Guanlin is trying to comprehend all of this information. Seongwoo stares at the phone, then up at Minhyun again, who's awaiting his brother’s response. 

 

_ “I… But what about Jihoon! I can't leave him here, what if he attacks him again?” _

 

Minhyun clicks his tongue, and Seongwoo can see the wheels turning in his brain as he thinks of a solution. “Take him with you.”

 

_ “I can't just take a patient out of the hospital, that's kind of illegal.. Besides, I don't think he's okay to leave yet…”  _

 

“He'll be fine. Just take his IV pole hanger with you and an oxygen tank. You can wheel him out on a wheel chair.”

 

_ “Hyung, there's security and doctors all over the place I can't just sneak him out--” _

 

“You need to,” Minhyun cuts him off. “If you want him to live, you have to. Take him to CCG. Tell Jihoon’s friends what's going on, you're going to need them help.”

 

Again, silence. Like Guanlin is deciding on what he should do. But then Seongwoo hears his soft sigh through the receiver.  _ “Okay, fine.” _

 

Minhyun sighs in relief. “Let me know when you're on your way, okay?”

 

_ “I will. Bye hyung.” _

 

And then he hangs up. Minhyun drops his phone in his lap, looking exasperated, but somehow still relieved. Seongwoo isn't sure what to make of his expression, especially when he looks at him, as he leans back in his seat, mouth slightly ajar and eyes lidded… So beautiful, Seongwoo thinks.

 

_ Stop that,  _ he tells himself. Now is not the time. “What do we do now…?” Seongwoo starts. 

 

“Now…” Minhyun trails off before putting the key in the ignition. The car engine roars to life, and he starts to pull out of the parking lot, heading on the road again. “Now we start planning how we’re going to take down Kang Daniel.”

 

—

 

Wherever Minhyun takes him next, the ride is long. The other barely speaks to him, and Seongwoo doesn't blame him. It's probably not because he feels betrayed by Seongwoo (at least he hope he doesn't), but perhaps because he's so focused, trying to plot himself how things are going to happen.

 

But Seongwoo is worried. There's no way a mere human like Minhyun could ever take Daniel down… And Seongwoo’s not really sure that he wants him to.

 

There's no doubting it anymore. His Daniel is long gone, and what's left behind is a monster that doesn't love him like he used to. But Seongwoo can't accept that this is it.  _ His  _ Daniel is really gone, and to say goodbye like this… It hurts. Seongwoo feels like his heart is being ripped into thousands of tiny pieces. 

 

_ There has to be another way,  _ Seongwoo thinks, hopes.

 

Minhyun’s destination is so far out that Seongwoo is certain that he's never been around this part of the city. He parks somewhere that is bleak, the scenery dark and almost intimidating. The whole surrounding area looks abandoned, with tall buildings that are lifeless, and sewers that lead to nowhere. Seongwoo vaguely wonders if Minhyun is just lost, but then the other gets out of the car, so he quickly does the same, fumbling with his seatbelt and following Minhyun into an alleyway.

 

There's a door leading into one of the buildings. Seongwoo notices it immediately as Minhyun steps in front of it. It looks… Out of place. It's a steel plated door set into a black brick building. Seongwoo notices the pad where a doorknob should be, and he panics a little. How are they supposed to get inside..?

 

But then Minhyun places his thumb on the pad, waiting a moment as he scans his print. Seongwoo watches in confusion— what's going on? 

 

The door opens, and Seongwoo gapes as he follows Minhyun in. 

 

It's a headquarters of some sort, Seongwoo realizes. There are hundreds of people about the place, stacks of paperwork in their hands, answering phone calls and clicking their mouses, eyes glued to their computer screen. Is this the office that Minhyun works at? 

 

He can't help but stare at everything in awe, but while he remains fascinated, Minhyun seems to have no interest in any of it. He continues to walk, ushering Seongwoo to follow along. They board a lift, and Minhyun closes the doors, hitting the third floor button and going silent for a moment as they ascend.

 

Everything looks so high tech. Seongwoo’s afraid that if he even looks at something, he might accidentally break it. 

 

“This is CCG headquarters,” Minhyun speaks suddenly. That bottom floor was the office floor, where we research, find more information about ghouls in the area.”

 

At that, Seongwoo raises a brow. “Ghouls…?”

 

Minhyun nods. “Yes, ghouls.”

 

Seongwoo's look of confusion remains. “Why just ghouls? Shouldn't police headquarters focus on all kinds of crime in the city, not just ghouls?”

 

And then Minhyun is blinking at him incredulously, like he’s not sure if Seongwoo is joking or not. Seongwoo just stares back, his expression unwavering. “Seongwoo, you haven’t figured it out yet?”

 

His nose scrunches a little in response. Is there something that he’s missed here? Something that he should’ve noticed? “No…?” he finally responds, slowly and cautiously.

 

At that, Minhyun purses his lips a little, then he lets out a huge sigh. “You’ll see then.”

 

And then, before Seongwoo can ask anymore questions, the lift opens up, and Minhyun exits without another word. He follows right after him, hot on heels. This place is so foreign to him, he thinks it’s best that he doesn’t get left behind.

 

“This--” Minhyun begins “-- is the third floor. Or the laboratory. It’s where our best scientists do gather research on particular ghouls and create weapons to destroy them. It’s also where these weapons are tested by ghoul investigators to ensure that they’ll be usable during combat.”

 

Seongwoo’s so immersed in his surroundings that he hardly registers what Minhyun is saying. Around him is an entirely different world; the lab is bustling with employees, most of them who don’t even give him a second look. Most of them examine strange weapons that are sleek, metallic in color. They vary in shape and size; Seongwoo sees some scythes and some swords, staffs and even knives, each piece stirring up his curiosity. 

 

“Ghoul investigator…?” Seongwoo asks absentmindedly as he looks around. Suddenly, he smacks right into Minhyun’s back, who’s decided to stop moving without telling him. Seongwoo frowns a little, and is about to complain, when Minhyun opens another door in front of him. Seongwoo barely catches the label on the front of it before it swings open.

 

_ Sparring Room.  _

 

Hesitantly, Seongwoo enters behind Minhyun, and immediately, his attention is captured by the fight that’s occurring right in front of him.

 

The first thing Seongwoo notices is how  _ young  _ these boys look. He would guess that neither of them are even adults yet, but here they are, both wielding weapons that Seongwoo himself isn’t sure he could lift, and it looks dangerous. 

 

One of them wields what looks like a huge double-edged sword, it’s edges tapered out a little so that it’s wider at the tip than it is at the hilt. There’s strange blue markings lining the sword, clean over the metallic blade.

 

The other boy wields what looks like a giant scythe; the handle of the weapon looks abnormally small for how large the blade is, and Seongwoo wonders how the boy could even pick up such a weapon, let alone swing it in front of him.

 

He gapes as the two spar, and though he’s certain that neither are going all out, the sight is still spectacular, as their weapons clash against each other, the sound echoing through the room.

 

“Jinyoung, Daehwi,” Minhyun calls. The two boys suddenly freeze in their spots and turn as their names are called. Seongwoo watches as a bright smile tugs at both of their lips, weapons spilling to the floor as they come running up to him.

 

“Hyung!”

 

“Yah,” Minhyun laughs, smiling back at them. Seongwoo notice how their eyes glow in admiration. “Practicing hard, hm?”

 

“Mhm!” one of the boys speaks up. “But Jinyoung hyung is really strong… Jonghyun said he might be able to join you on your next operation!”

 

Minhyun looks over at the other boy then, Jinyoung apparently. Seongwoo notices how shy and uncertain he looks, and how unsure Minhyun looks too. But the older male forces a smile before reaching out to ruffle both of the boys’ unruly hair, letting out a soft chuckle in response. “Mmm, we’ll see then. Ah, I wanted to ask though, have either of you seen Jaehwan around today?”

 

“Oh,” Jinyoung speaks, suddenly looking up. “He’s been in his office all day. Some new information about Leatherface came up, so he’s been trying to design a weapon.”

 

“Perfect. Thank you boys. Keep working hard, okay?” 

 

Jinyoung and Daehwi both grin before they head back to their weapons, and Seongwoo feels a hand tugging on his, leading him out the door. It’s only when it slams behind him that he hears Minhyun sigh, watches as he runs a hand down his face.

 

Seongwoo bites his lip a little. It’s finally starting to dawn on him that this… This isn’t an ordinary police headquarters. Ordinary police don’t create weapons like the ones he’s seen, and they don’t have young teens learning to wield those weapons alongside adults. Ordinary police don’t have laboratories like these, don’t have a whole floor set aside just for the purpose of investigating ghouls.

 

This place has one purpose and one purpose alone, and that is to exterminate ghouls from the city.

 

It’s a lot to swallow, Seongwoo thinks. He starts feeling a little dizzy as he processes the information, taking a deep breath that he slowly lets out.

 

Minhyun doesn’t look too good either, though he’s sure it’s not for the same reasons. Cautiously, he steps close, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder. “Minhyun… are you okay?”

 

“Jonghyun… What is he thinking, sending Jinyoung out…” he mutters under his breath. Seongwoo barely catches it.

 

“Huh--?”

 

Minhyun just shakes his head in response. “Never mind. Come on, let’s go. There’s someone I think that you should meet.”

 

Then he takes off again, and Seongwoo follows.

 

—

 

“Hyung, back so soon? Did you really miss me that much?” the man sitting behind the desk jokes, and Minhyun rolls his eyes playfully, shaking his head in response.

 

“Nice to see you again too, Jaehwan-ah.”

 

The other person, Jaehwan, Seongwoo takes note, laughs, standing as he looks in his direction.  Unlike the younger boys he had met earlier, Jaehwan looks like he could be around his age, standing around his height as he throws his lab coat over his shoulders. “Who’s this?”

 

Minhyun looks at Seongwoo suddenly, and he stiffens up a little. “This is Seongwoo. Seongwoo, this is Jaehwan. We’ll work together to figure out how to take down Leatherface.”

 

Seongwoo frowns a little. If Leatherface is who he thinks he is…. “Leatherface..?”

 

“Kang Daniel,” Minhyun confirms, and Seongwoo purses his lips. He doesn’t like that name. “We give each ghoul an alias so we can properly identify him.”

 

On the other side of the desk, Jaehwan doesn’t seem too interested in any formalities. He’s wide-eyed as he looks back and forth from Jaehwan to Minhyun, leaning in, as if the words he’s saying are meant to be a secret. “Wait, what? Kang Daniel? Is that Leatherface’s name? How did you find that out?”

 

“Me,” Seongwoo chimes in, and suddenly Jaehwan’s attention is on him. “I know him personally… Close enough that I can confirm--...”

 

_ “What are you doing--?”  _ a voice suddenly chimes in, startling Seongwoo silent. “ _ You’re really just going to turn me in to ghoul investigators like this? I thought you  _ loved  _ me Seongwoo.” _

 

Seongwoo frowns.   _ No.  _ This is all in his head. Daniel isn’t here with him now, and he has to start being honest about what he knows. Jihoon’s already gotten hurt. Seongwoo can’t bear to see even more off the people that he loves suffering too. 

 

_ “I thought you  _ knew  _ the consequences of not keeping your mouth shut--” _

 

“Stop--”

 

Seongwoo’s voice shakes, and his hands grasp at either side of his head as he tries to silence the taunting voice, the voice that tells him that he’s betraying Daniel, and that he should stop now while he can. But he has to do this. No matter how hard it is.

 

“Seongwoo--?” a quiet voice, a hand on his shoulder brings him out of his trance, silences the voices suddenly. He turns, and Minhyun is standing there, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly. His eyes are full of understanding, but Seongwoo wants to tell him that he  _ doesn’t  _ understand, that he can’t give up on Daniel just like this. 

 

But Minhyun is counting on him too. And so is Jihoon, Guanlin, Sungwoon, everyone that he loves. 

 

He sucks in a heavy breath, turning back to face Jaehwan again. 

 

“Daniel is the ghoul called Leatherface.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill Jihoon. I had to find SOME WAY to keep him alive and guess what... I did it ;; if you're wondering what Daniel did to make his heart stop, however, there's this horror movie called the Orphan, and in one of the scenes, the villain smothers a patient in the hospital with a pillow until he stops breathing. I imagine that something along the lines of that had happened huhu.
> 
> But anyways we're almost near the end!! This chapter was mostly a set up for things to come; I'm sorry if it was a little boring. The next chapter will probably be the one in which Onghwang develops the most... wink wink. And then it'll all come together with a final fifth, action packed final chapter (which will probably be horrible because I can't write action for the life of me but we're gonna give it a go anyways). Thank you for sticking around this far, and I really really enjoy reading your comments!! I'm so sorry for any stress I may cause, especially with the last cliffhanger, but I'm really really grateful.. Thank you for liking this story.
> 
> talk to me on twitter: http://twitter.com/wannabyui  
> ask me things on curious cat: https://curiouscat.me/wannabyui


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is so late, I had a hard time finding the words to portray certain scenes, and even now I'm not totally satisfied with it... Still I hope that you enjoy it! That being said, I know I said last time this would be 5 chapters, but it'll probably be 6 now orz I'm so sorry.

Guanlin arrives at the CCG headquarters not long after Seongwoo’s finished giving Jaehwan all the information he knows. With him, he brings an unconscious Jihoon, Jisung, Sungwoon, and Woojin, who all seem to be rather baffled at the situation. Sungwoon had driven them anyways, as Jisung screeched about the stolen hospital patient all the way there.

 

The first thing they do is take Jihoon to their infirmary. He's in a stable condition at this point, but they still don't want to risk anything. So while he’s there, the rest of them remain cramped in Jaehwan’s small office. The tension in the room leaving an unsettling feeling in Seongwoo’s chest. 

 

If he didn't feel like passing out earlier, he sure does now.

 

There are so many people around him, people that he knows and people that  _ trust  _ him… Now that they know about Daniel he can't help but to feel like he's disappointed them all. Even worse, he's put them all in danger. His fingers grip nervously at the arms of his chair.

 

“What are you doing?” Guanlin finally says from his corner near the bookshelf. Jaehwan stops typing on his computer, looking up at the youngest.

 

“Writing a report,” he replies simply. “We need to eliminate Kang Daniel right away.”

 

Seongwoo still swallows hard at that. His heart sinks in his chest; he's not sure that he wants this. Getting his Daniel back is one thing but… Killing him all together? Seongwoo isn't sure he can handle it. There has to be another way. He stares down at his lap as Jaehwan continues to type.

 

“Done!” he exclaims as he finishes, and exaggeratedly slams the last key, making Jisung jump a little. Seongwoo looks up too, sees the triumphant look upon his face. “I just have to print this out and get to the quinque developers and they should have the weapon ready in no time.”

 

There's still uncertainty in the room, and Jaehwan really tries to be the bearer of good news and good vibes; his wide smile lingers as he makes his way around his desk, patting Seongwoo on the shoulder. “This will finally be over.. Aren't you looking forward to it?”

 

Seongwoo can't bring himself to reply. 

 

—

 

That night, Guanlin, Jihoon, Sungwoon and Jisung all sleep in the empty hospital beds at the ward. Minhyun thinks it's the safest place they can be at a time like this. When they visit Jihoon, Seongwoo notices how Guanlin clings to his bedside, falling asleep in a chair he's set up beside him, while Sungwoon and Jisung knock out in nearby beds. It's the last he sees of them before closing the door quietly, allowing them to rest.

 

“You're not staying here too, are you?” 

 

Seongwoo spins around quickly. Standing there is Minhyun, leaning casually against the opposite wall with a playful grin on his face.  _ Handsome _ , Seongwoo thinks. Minhyun is tall and lean, and he's got such a handsome face, Seongwoo can't help but to stare a little. 

 

But then he remembers Minhyun's question, and he shakes his head a little. “No. I should go home…”

 

“Stay with me.”

 

A breath catches in Seongwoo’s throat, and he clears it a little in disbelief before staring incredulously at the investigator. “Pardon?”

 

“Come with me,” Minhyun offers, tilting his head in a way that makes him look illegally adorable. “Your home definitely isn't safe right now, so that probably isn't a good idea… Just come back to my apartment with me, okay?”

 

_ No _ , the voice in Seongwoo’s head says. 

 

But he's so,  _ so  _ tired of listening to that voice. 

 

He nods softly, a small smile forming upon his face.

 

“Okay, sure. Your place it is then.”

 

Minhyun grins, pushing himself of the wall. “Great. Let’s go home then.”

 

Seongwoo smiles.  _ Home.  _ He loves how the word sounds on Minhyun’s lips.

 

—

 

Minhyun hangs his coat neatly on the coat rack when he arrives, and Seongwoo does the same, not wanting to make a mess in the other male’s apartment. Of course, he's been here before, yet it's still somewhat unfamiliar, taking in the setting once more as Minhyun flicks on the lights. Then he disappears into his room and returns with a change of clothes and a toothbrush that he hands to Seongwoo.

 

“Here,” he says. “You should wash up and get some rest. I know it's been a long day.”

 

Seongwoo is slow to react; he reaches out for the items and looks at them suspiciously, before he brings himself to smile back at the ghoul investigator. It's a tired, weary smile, but he's still grateful. “Thank you,” Seongwoo says, then heads off to the bathroom to get undressed.

 

As he enters, he locks the door and flicks on the lights.

 

Standing right behind him is Kang Daniel; his black eyes look hungry, and his kagune rips from his back, a deep blood red. The weapon looks ready to strike Seongwoo at any moment. Perhaps the most terrifying part is the sinister smile on Daniel’s mouth, the way it stretches, as if he’s preparing to take a bite from Seongwoo’s shoulder--

 

Seongwoo gasps in surprise, spinning around so quickly that he bangs his knee on the cabinets beneath the sink. He doesn’t really register the pain, however. Fear takes over instead, and his priority is protecting himself from Daniel. He raises his hands to protect himself, then--

 

Nothing. No one is there. Instead, Seongwoo is met with the pristine white walls of Minhyun’s small bathroom. There’s a small towel rack hanging on the walls, but that’s about it. No cannibalistic ghoul boyfriend standing behind him, looking at him like he’s ready to feast. 

 

He breathes heavily, swallows hard to wet his throat. 

 

“Seongwoo--?” 

 

Abruptly, he turns to the door, where Minhyun’s voice faintly resonates. “Are you okay? I heard a loud noise…”

 

Seongwoo sucks in a breath. As he calms down, the dull pain in his knee finally starts to throb, and he remembers banging it against the cabinet. He silently nods to himself. “Mmmm… I’m fine…”

 

“...Okay,” Minhyun says, but he doesn’t sound too convinced. “Just let me know if you need anything..”

 

Seongwoo waits until he’s sure that Minhyun has gone before he even dares to turn around again, looking into the mirror. Thankfully, there’s no Daniel this time, and he breathes out a gentle sigh of relief.  _ Great,  _ he thinks to himself.  _ Now I’m hallucinating. _

 

“Get a grip, Ong Seongwoo…” he whispers to his reflection in the mirror. He goes to the shower and twists the faucet to the hottest it can go.

 

Maybe a hot shower will help him relax.

 

\--

 

When he’s finished showering, Seongwoo just feels tired, and he just wants to sleep. He trudges out into the living room, and plops on to the couch, burying his face into one of pillows. It’s comfortable, he thinks. 

 

Except he’s cold, and Minhyun hasn’t set out any blankets for him to use. In fact, the pillow that he’s hugging isn’t meant for sleeping either, but decoration for the couch. He blinks a little in confusion, sitting up and searching around when--

 

“Everything okay?”

 

He looks up, and standing in the doorway of his own room is Minhyun. He leans against the frame, and god, does he look good, Seongwoo thinks. His hair is messy and disheveled, and he’s dressed in a pair of dark sweats that hang off of his hips. Seongwoo swallows, trying not to stare too much.

 

“Ah, I’m fine, just… Can I get a blanket? It’s a little cold out here…” he says sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

 

At that, Minhyun smiles, and Seongwoo swears he can see a hint of red creeping up on his neck. “About that… I was going to ask if you wanted to sleep in my bed tonight.”

 

Seongwoo blinks in surprise. He must be hearing wrong, because there’s no way Minhyun’s really invited him to lie in bed with him. He sputters in embarrassment, unsure of how to respond. “I--.. Um, are you sure..? I don’t mind taking the couch again--”

 

But Minhyun just shakes his head. As he approaches, Seongwoo feels his heart beat rapidly increase. “It’s too cold out here. Come on.”

 

Panic builds a little in Seongwoo’s chest. He wants to protest, especially as Minhyun takes his hand, drags him up on his feet and starts to lead him to his room. This doesn’t feel right, he thinks. Despite everything that’s happening, Daniel is still his boyfriend, and he barely knows Minhyun. Is this really okay…?

 

As they reach Minhyun’s bedroom Seongwoo sucks in a heavy breath. Minhyun brings him past the threshold before closing the door behind them.

 

It’s dark inside, the only light being a dim lamp in the corner of the room. Seongwoo barely has time to let his eyes adjust before he feels his back being pressed against the door, hands on his cheeks and something soft and wet against his lips. 

 

Then it hits him. Minhyun is  _ kissing  _ him. His body is pressed against him, and he’s cupping his cheeks as his lips mash together with his. The kiss leaves him breathless, makes his head spin because Seongwoo  _ definitely  _ hadn’t been expecting this. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands, but they end up on Minhyun’s hips, trying to drag him closer, despite every bone in his body telling him that this is  _ wrong.  _

 

It feels wrong, no matter how much Seongwoo tries to tell himself that it’s right. He can’t deny the attraction that’s been growing towards Minhyun in the past few days. And now, everything is starting to make sense. 

 

But it shouldn’t be happening like this. Something feels horribly out of place, especially as Minhyun roughly handles him, shoving him to the bed. Seongwoo whimpers, gasps as his back hits the mattress. He doesn’t even have time to react before Minhyun is straddling his waist, leaning down to kiss him once again.

 

His kisses back, closes his eyes and tries to accept this, but when he feels Minhyun’s tongue against the seam of his lips, he panics. He shoves Minhyun away, eyes wide with shock. “Minhyun, this isn’t you, what are you--”

 

And then he sees him again. Over Mihyun’s shoulder, in the corner of the room. Daniel is standing there. However, this time, he just looks angry. He isn’t even looking at Seongwoo this time, but Minhyun, murderous intent in his dark eyes, as his kagune starts to rip from his back, growing increasingly in size.

 

He gasps, tries to say something, but Minhyun just smashes their lips together again. Seongwoo groans, but he’s still alert, his fingers grasping at Minhyun’s shoulders before he pushes him off of him again. 

 

There’s a confused, hurt look on Minhyun’s face as he looks down at him. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

 

Instead, a deep red tentacle pierces through Minhyun’s chest. Seongwoo feels the blood splatter warmly over his face, eyes wide with shock.

 

Then he  _ screams.  _

 

He watches helplessly as Minhyun bleeds out in front of him, as Daniel ruthlessly presses the tentacle deeper into his body, and as Minhyun calls out to him. “Seongwoo…” he says, but Seongwoo is too frozen with fear to respond. “Seongwoo… Seongwoo…”

 

_ “Seongwoo--!” _

 

Seongwoo wakes abruptly, eyes flying open as he gasps for air. He feels dizzy as his vision settles, but the first thing he sees is Minhyun hovering over him with a worried look on his face. 

 

“Seongwoo?” he calls again. Seongwoo tries to calm his breathing as he gathers his surroundings. He’s still in Mihyun’s apartment, and thankfully, there’s no gaping hole in his friend’s chest. He’s also not in his bedroom, he realizes, but on his couch, just like last time. He suddenly remembers falling asleep there after his shower, but he doesn’t remember the blankets being there. Minhyun must have laid them over him while he was sleeping. 

 

Finally, he looks to Mihyun again. “Are you okay?” the other male asks, finally settling on the opposite side of the couch. “Was it a bad dream?”

 

Seongwoo sits up, clearing his throat. Then he nods silently. “Yeah… Just a bad dream.”

 

Minhyun purses his lips a little. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

At that, Seongwoo hums quietly. He  _ does  _ want to talk about it, but… He’s still piecing together what it means himself. 

 

One thing is undeniable, he knows. And that’s the fact that his feelings for Minhyun exist. They’re there, and Seongwoo is afraid of losing him in this strange battle that they’ve found themselves in. But what he still doesn’t understand is  _ why… how? _

 

What is it about Mihyun that’s caused his feelings to develop like this? Seongwoo can’t deny that the other is handsome, of course, but Seongwoo isn’t shallow. That couldn’t be the only reason. 

 

Is it because Minhyun makes him feel safe? Because Minhyun takes care of him? Seongwoo can’t be sure… But he knows the feelings are there.. And he just doesn’t know how to talk about them.

 

“I… My dream was about you...” Seongwoo murmurs shyly, bringing his knees to his chest. Minhyun flinches a little, like he wants to move closer, but he settles for staying on his end of the couch instead. 

 

“Me?” he says quietly, and Seongwoo nods in affirmation. “What about me?”

 

And then Seongwoo hesitates. He can’t tell Mihyun the specifics, it’s too embarrassing… A faint blush spreads over his cheeks, and he rubs sheepishly at the back of his neck. “--It’s nothing, really, I just… It was just a nightmare, I think I should just go back to sleep.”

 

But Seongwoo knows how observant Minhyun is. Even in the dim living room, Minhyun can see the redness that creeps on to Seongwoo’s skin, and he smiles knowingly. He moves closer, and Seongwoo stiffens, looking up to meet Mihyun’s gentle eyes.

 

“Relax--” Minhyun says, like he senses how tense Seongwoo is right now. “I won’t do anything rash… But I want to try something…”

 

Just the way that Minhyun speaks so gently and carefully has the hairs on the back of Seongwoo’s neck sticking up. Minhyun closes in, and he feels his heart pounding in his chest. It’s closer than he’s ever been, and when he’s reminded of the dream, he almost pushes him away again.

 

But that had been just a dream, he thinks. This is really Minhyun, and he’s not forcing himself on to him. He move slowly, tentatively, as if asking Seongwoo to push him away if he really doesn’t want this. And Seongwoo is tempted; he’s still so scared, of Daniel, of ghouls, of  _ everything-- _

 

But this is  _ Minhyun,  _ he reminds himself. Minhyun, who has been nothing but kind and patient with him, has taken care of him, and now… Now he understands his feelings. 

 

Seongwoo doesn’t hesitate, and he leans in slowly, closing the gap between them.

 

When their lips meet, Seongwoo feels relief wash over him, as if this is what he’s been wanting since the moment he laid eyes on Minhyun. His lips are so soft, and they fit perfectly against his, he thinks. And Mihyun is gentle, manages to make him feel safe, as he brings a hand to sit carefully on his shoulder, bringing him closer to him. 

 

He doesn’t think about Daniel, because this isn’t about Daniel anymore. This is all about Minhyun… Minhyun, who makes him feel safe, loved, is careful, kind, gentle…

 

Seongwoo kisses him softly, and when they finally come apart, he feels slightly disappointed, almost dips in to capture Minhyun’s lips against his once more. Instead, he rests his forehead against his, taking a moment to catch his breath and simply enjoy this moment.

 

“I like you,” Minhyun says suddenly. It’s so innocent that Seongwoo almost laughs, a smile spreading over his lips. 

 

“I like you too,” Seongwoo replies. He brings a hand to caress Minhyun’s cheek, and he hums happily in response. 

 

“I know you're scared…” Minhyun's begins. Seongwoo tenses under his hands, and Minhyun must notice, because he gently rubs his shoulder as he speaks. “I know you're scared, but everything will be okay. We’ll get through this, I promise.”

 

And Seongwoo wants to believe him. Minhyun’s words are so sincere that he almost forgets about how dangerous ghouls truly are, especially a ghoul like Daniel. There's no way that they can escape from this completely unscathed, Seongwoo thinks.

 

But Minhyun is hypnotizing, and Seongwoo can't help but to feel safe in the comfort that his words bring.

 

They fall asleep together like that, pressed against the small expanse of Minhyun’s couch, lying in each other’s arms. 

 

-

 

Seongwoo finds that when Minhyun isn't near, his anxiety over Daniel never fears to make itself known.

 

The only place he goes anymore is CCG headquarters; Jonghyun deems it unsafe for him to go anywhere else, somehow manages to come up with excuses for him, Sungwoon, Jisung, and Woojin all not to come into work, instead staying under the close supervision of those who can best protect them from ghouls.

 

But even so, Seongwoo can't help but to feel like he's being watched everywhere he goes.

 

Sometimes he’ll see Daniel walking around the corridors, blending in just like a regular employee. Or Daniel will appear in the mirror, just like he had on the first night at Minhyun’s. It's like he's reminding him, that just because Minhyun is suddenly in his life, it doesn't mean he's safe. He’s never safe from Daniel.

 

The paranoia grows throughout the week, and Seongwoo just wants to give in. Daniel’s voice taunts him, calls him a liar, a traitor, a cheater, tells him he's going to kill  _ all  _ of his friends, and if Daniel hasn’t driven him to madness already, he's almost certain that he will soon enough.

 

His breaking point comes on the day that Minhyun’s quinque is finally complete. He's there when scientists bring the finalized weapon to Jaehwan’s office, presenting it to him and Minhyun with utmost care.

 

The weapon is terrifying, Seongwoo thinks. It’s mostly made of steel, but it's decorated with red markings that seem to glow in a fashion similar to Daniel’s own kagune. It takes the form of a double edged sword, and Seongwoo can't deny how princely Minhyun looks as he wields it, holding it carefully in his hands.

 

“It's gorgeous…” Jaehwan comments, eyes scanning over the weapon. “Is it really enough to kill an S ranking ghoul, though?”

 

There's that word again, Seongwoo thinks.  _ Kill. _

 

“It should be,” Minhyun replies as he puts the weapon away carefully. “The developers said they have complete faith in this one.”

 

“What about Jinyoung and Daehwi?”

 

“They'll have their usual weapons for the investigation. Jinyoung has gotten really good with his.” 

 

Seongwoo listens in on the conversation, his head down and his hands in his lap. They talk about Daniel,  _ taking down _ Daniel,  _ killing  _ Daniel, and it  _ hurts. _

 

Daniel is still his somehow, and everyone seems to have forgotten.

 

“Stop.” His voice is low, but the tone is alarming, quickly gathering the attention of the others in the room. “I don't want him to die.”

 

Behind his desk, Jaehwan sighs. “He has to… Its the only way--”

 

“It's  _ not  _ the only way--” he argues, but he knows well that this truly is the only way to end Daniel’s reign of terror. But Seongwoo can't let them lay a finger on him. “We can save him still-- my Daniel is still there--”

 

Beside him, Minhyun lets out a soft sigh, then he's reaching down, placing a hand gently against his. “Seongwoo--”

 

“Get away from me-!” he says, swatting Minhyun’s hand away. His breath is heavy now, and he feels emotion bubbling up in his chest, a heavy weight that he had been dying to let out. “You all talk about Daniel like he's some kind of monster.. But I know he's not! He's  _ my  _ Daniel too, he's still human, you can't kill him--!”

 

Seongwoo knows his words are false. He's listened to the reports over the past few days. Whatever humanity Daniel had been holding on to… Its gone. His Daniel really doesn't exist anymore, but he had never thought it’s be this hard to accept the facts.

 

“None of you care about him…” he whispers, feeling his heart tighten in his chest and tears starting to well in his eyes. “You all just want him  _ dead!” _

 

The last word comes out in a growing fit of anger, before he's pushing himself out the door, out into the hallways of the prestigious headquarters.

 

Everything is so orderly, so perfectly organized that Seongwoo feels dizzy. He doesn't know where he's going, but  _ anywhere  _ is better than here, he thinks, as he starts running down the halls, pushing abruptly through the them, past investigators and engineers who all give him the same looks of confusion. 

 

There is no escape, he soon realizes. Doors are all locked with steel plates that no one can access without administrative approval. So when he runs into his third steel plated barricade, Seongwoo slams his fist against it, letting out a loud cry of agony and ignoring all of the other employees around him.

 

Numbness settles in then. Like he's sobering up, suddenly figuring out that he can't have it all. He can't have Daniel and be safe anymore.

 

But he has his friends. His friends that have been there when he needs them the most, and his friends that have worried about him, taken care of him in his need.

 

And he has Minhyun, Minhyun who is kind, understanding, and finds him crying in the corner by himself, wraps his arms around him to help calm him down. Seongwoo curls into his embrace, holding him close as acceptance finally washes over him. 

 

Daniel is long gone and isn't coming back anymore. 

 

-

 

Minhyun takes him home that night as soon as Jaehwan is done with his tests, and when Minhyun finishes up some sparring with other investigators in the ward. It's deadly silent on the way back home, like neither of them want to talk about the painfully obvious elephant in the room.

 

And Seongwoo is still recovering from his earlier breakdown too. It's not as if he doesn't trust Minhyun with his emotions, but there's still a slight numbness that dwells as he watches the city lights passing outside of the car window. 

 

When they're finally back at Minhyun’s apartment, it remains silent, and Seongwoo moves sluggishly, toeing off his shoes and standing at the edge of the couch. When he finally sits, Minhyun sits beside him, and gently places a hand on his thigh.

 

“Hey… Seongwoo, look at me,” he asks softly, bringing a hand underneath his chin and tilting it upwards ever-so-slightly. He's afraid to meet his eyes, but he looks up anyways.

 

There's something in his gaze that's so calming, and Seongwoo slowly feels his heart ease a little. 

 

“Do you want to talk about how you felt today..?” Minhyun asks. Seongwoo purses his lips softly, and just as quickly as he had glanced up at Minhyun, he's looking down again, focusing on the wrinkles in the other’s dress shirt. He shakes his head softly.

 

“No.”

 

Before him, he can feel Minhyun tense a little, but he remains calm, giving a nod in response. “Okay, well… What would you like to do? Is there something I can do to help you?”

 

Seongwoo looks up again. This time he sees how Minhyun’s eyes are pleasing to let him help him. There's worry in the way that he touches him so carefully, and how he refuses to look away until he's able to help him figure something out. It's like Minhyun is holding a rope out for him and waiting for him to grab on, but Seongwoo is too afraid to even reach out.

 

But he wants to. He wants so badly to let Minhyun know how grateful he is to him, grateful for everything he's done for him in such an incredibly short time. But Seongwoo is left speechless, and cannot say a thing.

 

He shakes his head no. Minhyun’s gentle touch fades a little.

 

_ No,  _ Seongwoo thinks, already missing the warmth of his hand. But even as Minhyun stands and lets out a quiet sigh, he says nothing and does nothing, only looks down at the floor as he begins to walk away.

 

“You're not fighting this battle alone, Seongwoo,” Minhyun says behind him. Then he hears the door close, as he disappears into his room.

 

His words ring in Seongwoo’s ears and Seongwoo repeats quietly to himself as he goes to bed.

 

_ You're not fighting this battle alone.  _

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY COW it's been a really long time since I've updated this fic... I was aware of it tbh, and I never planned on abandoning it, I promise, I'm just lazy and never got this chapter done, even though I knew where I wanted to go with it. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

“We need to talk.”

 

Seongwoo almost doesn’t hear Minhyun as he speaks, drowning in his own thoughts as they finally return home to the other male’s apartment. When Seongwoo meets his eyes, they are serious and cold, and Seongwoo feels an actual chill run down his spine. Minhyun has never looked at him like this before.

 

It’s been weeks since they’ve actually had a proper conversation, and Seongwoo knows how awkward it is for the both of them. Everyday is the same; he wakes up and heads to CCG headquarters with Minhyun because he’s too afraid to leave him on his own, but Minhyun never speaks a word to him the entire time. Instead, Seongwoo spends his days with his friends who are still locked up in CCG headquarters too. Seongwoo worries that their all be fired from their jobs when this is over, or that their current lack of pay will result in inability to pay off rent later on, but Jonghyun reassures them all that he’s gotten taken care of, and that they should all trust in him. Seongwoo does, but he still can’t help but to feel a little guilty.. All of them are only in this situation because of him. 

 

No one has heard from Daniel in days. He doesn’t appear in the news, no new killings or even sightings… But Seongwoo still sees him in his paranoid imagination, in his dreams where he kills the people that he loves most. He suggests to Jonghyun that maybe Daniel isn’t even out there anymore, but his own fears tell him otherwise, and the search for his past boyfriend doesn’t stop.

 

When the day ends, he heads home with Minhyun, endures yet another silent and awkward car ride, where Seongwoo pretends to look out the window, deep in thought. But he knows Minhyun knows, knows that he’s simply trying to past the time, suffering from the silence just as much as he is, and anticipating the moment he can exit the car, head up to Minhyun’s apartment and fall asleep on his couch, just like every other night.

 

It’s strange and uncomfortable, but it slowly becomes a routine that Seongwoo can’t find his way out of. 

 

That is, until Minhyun finally speaks up, a hand around his wrist before he can run away into the bathroom and prepare himself for bed.

 

Seongwoo immediately looks down as Minhyun’s eyes meet his. He feels embarrassed somehow, guilty for having ignored Minhyun all this time. The feelings hit him like a truck, and he purses his lips in uncertainty, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck. “What is it?”

 

“Look at me,” Mihyun says, and he reaches for Seongwoo’s chin, tilting his head up and forcing him to look him in the eye. Seongwoo quivers, but he can’t look away, not when Minhyun has asked him not to. He watches as his gaze softens, yet he still feels somewhat nervous, like he’ll be scolded at any second.

 

“I want you to tell me what’s wrong.” 

 

Seongwoo frowns a little at that. Of course, it had been expected. He knows how observant Minhyun is, how caring and kind he is, and he’s grateful that the other man is even trying with him anymore. He feels like his life is in shambles, like everything is falling apart. But somehow Mihyun is still there, holding it all together with all of his strength, despite not having spoken to him in what feels like weeks. Seongwoo doesn’t deserve him, he thinks.

 

“We haven’t spoken in days, and I’m worried,” Minhyun finally continues. Seongwoo can sense the hesitance in his words, as if he’s struggling to find the right things to say. He always does though, Seongwoo finds. “If you’re worried that I might judge you, might push you away for what you say… Don’t be. I just want to help.”

 

His words make Seongwoo’s heart hurt. There are no words to describe how much Seongwoo wants to accept Mihyun into his heart, let him love him and take care of him like he’s offering to… But he just can’t. Even when Daniel is not there, Seongwoo can still feel that he’s got a hold on him, and he’s still not sure how to get rid of him. 

 

“I’m sorry…” Seongwoo finally says. “I’m really… Grateful… For everything you’ve done for me. Even though all I’ve given you in return is silence, I’m grateful. But you have to understand that it’s not easy for me to just… Let Daniel go like this.”

 

“I do understand,” Minhyun replies. His hands are on his shoulders now, like an act of comfort, but somehow it only stands to irritate Seongwoo a little, especially concomitant with his words. He  _ understands?  _ There’s no way Minhyun can understand what he’s gone through, and for him to even suggest that he does… His anger flares up a little, but he does his best to keep it at bay.

 

“No, you  _ don’t, _ ” Seongwoo responds as calmly as he can. “You don’t understand what it’s like to watch someone you love turn into… Into some kind of monster, and being helpless whenever it comes to him.”

 

Minhyun frowns a little, but he still does his best to calmly respond to Seongwoo’s confession. “I know I don’t, but I still understand that you’re in pain over it--”

 

_ “Quit  _ saying that you understand when you don’t!” Seongwoo sighs exasperatedly, his building frustrations in the past weeks finally exploding, and unfortunately, it just has to be with Minhyun. “You don’t understand how I feel, all you fucking want to do is  _ kill  _ him, you don’t care about anything else!”

 

Seongwoo has never seen Minhyun lose his temper. The other has always been so calm and collected, even in the face of imminent danger, in the most stressful situations. But suddenly, his brows are creasing, knitting together as he gives in too, shouting back at Seongwoo, “I fucking care about  _ you!  _ Maybe I don’t understand what you’re going through, but you act as if I’m not going through hell either, worrying about you. You haven’t eaten in  _ days,  _ Seongwoo, and you barely even speak to your friends. It’s not just me either, they care about you, too. Did you ever stop and think about how much you’re hurting us? Or, no, because you’re too preoccupied with Daniel, and you’d much rather let him fuck you and eat your flesh than worry about the people that actually care about you--”

 

Suddenly, there’s a loud  _ slap  _ that echoes through the room, and it takes a long moment for Seongwoo to even realize what he’s just done.

 

When he looks over at Minhyun, the other is cradling his cheek, hiding his face from him. Through the cracks in his fingers, Seongwoo can see that the skin has steadily begun to swell, turning a bright shade of red. His eyes widen in his realization. 

 

_ Seongwoo just slapped Minhyun. _

 

His pupils shake, and he reaches out cautiously. He’s worried he’s already fucked things up enough… Will Minhyun hate him now? Gently, he places a hand on his shoulder. “Minhyun, I’m--”

 

“Stop..” Minhyun shakes. “Don’t touch me.”

 

A fresh wave of guilt rushes over Seongwoo. Not only has he mentally hurt Minhyun, but now he’s physically hurt him too, and suddenly his chest feels tight, aching as he looks down at the other man. “I’m sorry..” he whispers quietly, bringing his hand down in defeat.

 

Minhyun, however, doesn’t respond. Instead, he brings his hand down and looks at him one last time. There’s so much pain in his eyes, Seongwoo recognizes, and while Minhyun isn’t crying, he can still see tears welling up in his eyes, perhaps because of the sting on his cheek. He glares at him for a brief second before turning on his heel and heading straight for his room, slamming the door shut behind him. 

 

Seongwoo just watches as the only person that’s even  _ tried  _ to reach out to him in such a difficult time walks away, leaving him feeling more alone and empty than ever before. 

 

-

 

Amazingly, Minhyun still wakes Seongwoo up the next morning and takes him to the CCG headquarters again, despite yet another awkward drive. This time, however, the atmosphere is much heavier. Seongwoo notices that the expression on Minhyun’s handsome face looks more irritated than usual, and while he can’t blame him, he still hates it. He’d rather have the old silences back, where he’d still wonder what Minhyun was thinking, but at least didn’t have to worry that he harbored any kind of resentment towards him.

 

Seongwoo heads straight for the infirmary when he arrives, and the sight that beholds him is probably the best thing he’s seen in  _ weeks.  _

 

Jihoon has finally woken up.

 

As soon as he opens the doors, he’s greeted by the sight of Jihoon’s bright face, somehow smiling, despite the hell that he’s surely gone through. By his side is Guanlin, but he still can’t help but notice the way his face lights up when he enters. 

 

“Hyung!” Jihoon says excitedly, and Seongwoo smiles widely, rushing to his side.

 

“Oh my god, you’re awake…!” Seongwoo exclaims in disbelief. Upon closer inspection, he can see that Jihoon is in much better shape than the last time he had seen him this close. There are scars on his face, and his lips are dry. His eyes look tired, but they still twinkle, and Seongwoo just feels incredibly relieved to see him alive and breathing again.

 

“I feel like hell, honestly,” Jihoon chuckles, and it results in a rough cough escaping from his lips. Guanlin worriedly reaches out to him, but he quickly reassures him that he’s fine, then looks up at Seongwoo once more.

 

“Guanlin caught me up on everything that’s happened…” Jihoon says solemnly, a soft look washing over his features. “I can’t believe that Daniel hyung…”

 

“I’m sorry,” Seongwoo finally says, abruptly cutting Jihoon off. It’s sudden, but he had promised himself that he’d apologize to Jihoon as soon as he could. “It’s because of me that you’re here, and I’m so sorry, Jihoonie…”

 

At his words, Jihoon blinks a little, then shakes his head softly. “It’s not your fault. I had been stupidly curious. You told me not to go, but… Ah, at least I’m alive now, right?”

 

Seongwoo laughs softly, scratching at the back of his neck. Still, he’s incredibly grateful; Jihoon is indeed  _ very  _ much alive. 

 

“Ah, Guanlin…” Seongwoo begins, turning to the younger male. “Is it okay if I have just a few moments with Jihoon..? It won’t be long, I promise.”

 

Guanlin nods in understanding, rising and stretching a little. “Sure, hyung. I need to grab some breakfast anyways. Take your time.”

 

Seongwoo then watches as Guanlin leans down and pecks Jihoon’s cheek, waves goodbye before leaving the two of them alone in the room.

 

“You never told me your boyfriend was that cute,” Seongwoo jokes as he takes Guanlin’s seat, sitting just beside Jihoon’s bed. Jihoon laughs happily, shaking his head.

 

“What, you’re not planning to steal him from me, are you? He’s a baby, that’s a little weird--” Jihoon jokes back.

 

“Of course not!” Seongwoo laughs, and the feeling lifts a weight off his chest. He hasn’t been able to relax like this in a while. “Ah, I’m just really glad to see you again… I was really scared you weren’t gonna make it…”

 

The mood seems to grow a tense in that moment, but Jihoon still smiles softly, lips pursing into a thin line. “Me too… It was scary, you know? I feel like I shouldn’t be here, but… I’m glad I am.”

 

“Me too,” Seongwoo agrees. He reaches out to hold Jihoon’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I really am sorry… For dragging you into all of this.”

 

“Hey, I already said it’s not your fault,” Jihoon responds, frowning a little.

 

“I know, but--”

 

“No buts!” the younger interjects, effectively interrupting him. Seongwoo looks up and blinks at him. “You’re always apologizing for things that you didn’t even do, you know?  Now enough about me and all this depressing bullshit, Guanlin has caught me up on everything that’s happened since I’ve been out. e told me you have a thing with his older brother, is that true? Ong Seongwoo, you sly dog, you--!”

 

At the mention of Minhyun, Seongwoo tenses a little. He had forgotten all about the other man and the incident that had occured last night, too overwhelmed with his relief at seeing Jihoon. However, as soon as Jihoon brings him up again, Seongwoo instantly slumps a little, looking down at the fresh sheets on Jihoon’s bed.

 

“Ah, it’s… Complicated,” Seongwoo struggles. Jihoon tilts his head curiously at him.

 

“What do you mean complicated? He’s not a ghoul too, is he? I don’t think they should be allowing ghouls to work in an anti-ghoul company--” 

 

“No, he’s not a ghoul, Jihoonie--” Seongwoo interrupts, laughing softly. “It’s just… If I had something with him, I definitely ruined my chance.”

 

Jihoon narrows his eyes. “What, you didn’t show him that weird collection of rocks in your apartment, did you--”

 

“ _ No!”  _ Seongwoo says defensively, and Jihoon chuckles. The sound is weak, but Seongwoo’s just glad to hear him laugh again, even if he’s laughing at him.

 

“I’m just kidding,” Jihoon hums. He coughs a little, and Seongwoo rubs his back through it, before he finally continues. “So what happened? How could you ruin it that badly? I’ve met Minhyun-hyung before, and he’s a pretty relaxed guy--”

 

“I slapped him in the face.”

 

“... Oh.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

It’s silent after that for a moment. Seongwoo takes comfort in knowing that at least Jihoon isn’t judging him, and if he is, well, he’s known the younger for too long that he knows his judgment won’t affect their friendship. He’s at a loss for words too, the guilt of last night’s actions suddenly coming back to him as he reflects on them.

 

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” Jihoon breaks the silence. Seongwoo nods.

 

“Yeah, I know.”

 

“So then what? Are you going to apologize? That’s kinda shitty of you--”

 

Seongwoo snorts softly, leaning back in his chair. “I know, but I hit him, Jihoon. I doubt he wants anything to do with me after that.”

 

“Well…” Jihoon shrugs. “You never know. Do you really like him that much?”

 

“... I do,” Seongwoo answers, despite hesitating a little.

 

“Then what’s holding you back?”

 

Seongwoo doesn’t have to think about it; he’s liked Minhyun for a while now. That’s never been the problem. 

 

The real problem lies in the fact that he’s still so hung up Daniel, despite all the pain that he’s caused him. Seongwoo understands now-- Daniel is dangerous. Not only in the sense that he’s capable of harming the ones that he loves, but in the sense that he still has Seongwoo wrapped around his finger, feeding off of his fears, haunting him in his nightmares and daydreams. Seongwoo is afraid for his life, afraid for Minhyun’s, Jihoon’s, Guanlin’s, all the people that he cares about… It truly feels like he’s in this alone.

 

“Seongwoo hyung,” Jihoon speaks up, and Seongwoo looks up to meet his eyes. “I don’t really know what you’re going through, with Minhyun, or Daniel, or anyone really. But I’ve known you long enough to know that there’s something wrong. You don’t have to go through all of that alone, though. All of us are here for you, and we want to help you… Protect you. You just have to trust in us, okay?”

 

Seongwoo feels a lump in his throat as he speaks. He doesn’t understand at all how Jihoon, out of all people, can be this strong, can really have this much faith in the people around him when he’s the one in a hospital bed recovering from life threatening injuries. Seongwoo suddenly feels weak for being as afraid as he is.

 

But maybe Jihoon is right, Seongwoo thinks. It’s the same thing that Minhyun had told him a week ago-- you don’t have to go through all of this alone…  _ You’re not fighting this battle alone.  _

 

“Seongwoo hyung…?” 

 

Seongwoo looks up again, and Jihoon is staring at him questioningly. However, Seongwoo just brings himself to smile, because he finally gets it, he  _ understands  _ now… 

 

“Thank you, Jihoon… I feel much better now,” he grins, squeezing his hand again. The other’s eyes widen in surprise for a moment before his lips relax into a gentle smile.

 

“You’re welcome hyung. Go talk to Minhyun, okay? I trust in you.”

 

Seongwoo just nods softly in response.

 

-

 

Seongwoo breaks the silence of his car ride home with Mihyun that night.

 

It’s nerve-wracking, he thinks. He’s gotten used to this routine of quietness during their rides home, but Seongwoo figures that now is a good time to talk it out, rather than waiting for them to get home. At least here, Minhyun would have to hear him out, couldn’t escape into his room if he wanted to.

 

“Minhyun…” Seongwoo begins, looking over at the other as he drives. He sees him stiffen, but otherwise makes no other indication that he’s heard Seongwoo speak. “I’m sorry. For a lot of things. First of all, I’m sorry I hit you… I know I already apologized for it last night but… It was really out of line, and I shouldn’t have done it and I feel horrible for even laying a hand on you…”

 

Minhyun doesn’t respond, so Seongwoo takes it as a sign to continue on with his words. “Secondly I’m sorry for… For saying that you don’t understand. I was just… Hurting a lot, you know? It’s hard to believe that anyone could really know what I’m feeling right now but… I know that you’re trying to. And I know that you’re trying to help me hurt less too. It also wasn’t fair of me to invalidate your pain too… I know you’re hurting, and I’m sorry if I made you feel like you didn’t matter in that sense.”

 

Again, Minhyun tenses, but Seongwoo senses that, this time, it isn’t out of anger or resentment. Rather, he hopes it’s because his words have really reached Minhyun, that he’s doing his best to listen to him, find it in him to forgive him. Seongwoo doesn’t deserve his forgiveness, but he really hopes he forgives him anyways.

 

“Lastly, I’m sorry for… For making you feel like you you weren’t good enough.”

 

That seems to really strike something in Minhyun, because the other suddenly sucks in a heavy breath. His hand tightens around the steering wheel, and he focuses even harder on the road ahead of him.

 

“I’ve been so stuck on Daniel and how much he’s hurt me… I haven’t paid attention to you and how much you’ve been trying to heal me. Or rather, I know you’ve been there all this time but it’s like… Like I was rejecting it. I was still coming to terms with everything… With potentially losing Daniel, losing Jihoon… Everything hurt, and it was hard to accept someone new into my heart, as much as I wanted to…

 

“I really should’ve trusted you from the beginning, and I’m sorry that I didn’t. I can understand if you can’t forgive me for everything, because I’ve treated you like shit… And I can’t say that I’m completely over Daniel either; this kind of situation is difficult… You understand right? But… But I care about you too. And if you would forgive me… I’d be really thankful…”

 

Seongwoo finally finishes, but Minhyun still doesn’t respond. For a moment, he worries that Minhyun had drowned him out, hadn’t listened to him at all. Or even worse, he had heard him, but chose to ignore it all.

 

Then suddenly, Minhyun diverges from their way home, takes another road that Seongwoo is unfamiliar with, can’t remember ever traveling along before. His pupils waiver a little in confusion, before he finally turns to Minhyun in his confusion. “Uh… Minhyun…?”

 

After a while, Minhyun finally stops the car. The road their on is eerily quiet and empty, a bit spooky too, considering how late it is already. There’s a few streetlights flickering, but other than that, it’s quiet; they’re all alone here.

 

Beside him, Minhyun lets out a little sigh as he removes the keys from the ignition, leans back in his seat. He still doesn’t look over at Seongwoo, but he purses his lips, closing his eyes as finally speaks.

 

“I would never ask you to forget about Daniel,” he begins. His voice is a little shaky, like he’s uncertain of his words, but he continues anyways, and Seongwoo watches closely as his lips form each and every word. “That would be incredibly stupid and selfish of me. I know what you’ve gone through with him, and for me to ask you to forget… That’s not what I want.”

 

Minhyun opens his eyes then, and then he turns to Seongwoo. He looks tired, and Seongwoo wonders if he had even slept the previous night at all. He feels bad for having this conversation so suddenly; Minhyun probably just wanted to get home and rest already.

 

“All I want is for you to know that I care… That I’m here for you, no matter how much you’re hurting. I already told you how I felt, and that hasn’t changed, but… I just want you to trust me, and know that I’m really on your side. I want to make you happy.”

 

Seongwoo’s heart suddenly feels heavy in his chest at Minhyun’s words. All of his guilt seems to weigh heavy on shoulders now, as he listens to Minhyun confess, tell him everything he’s been feeling. And he understands, he knows that he’s been hurting too, but he just wishes that he had known how  _ much  _ he had been hurting earlier than this. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Seongwoo says again, staring at the dashboard in front of him. “You deserved better than how I treated you.. If you’ll forgive me then… Then I promise I’ll try harder to let you know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me… I want you in my life, and I’m sorry I hadn’t told you sooner.”

 

And then, Minhyun smiles. It’s a weak smile, so faint that Seongwoo barely notices it, but the little curve at the corner of his lips is no doubt a smile, and it makes Seongwoo feel warm inside. “I forgive you.” With that, he reaches out, extending his hand out to Seongwoo. Without hesitating, and with a smile of his own on his lips, he reaches out to hold it, giving it a light, gentle squeeze.

 

“Thank you…” Seongwoo whispers, and Minhyun hums in response.

 

Everything suddenly feels lighter. There’s a weight that’s lifted off of Seongwoo’s shoulders, and all the worries in his heart seem to disappear into thin air. Minhyun’s words have left him feeling blissful, and as he turns, staring at the other’s profile as it’s illuminated by the dim street lights, he can’t help but to smile. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, drunk off of the sight of the other.

 

Minhyun turns slightly, surprised by his words before he lets out a soft chuckle. “I haven’t slept in at least thirty hours, I look like death--”

 

Seongwoo laughs, but still he shakes his head. “You’re still handsome. I want to kiss you.”

 

And then, Minhyun blinks softly. Seongwoo can tell he’s tired, but he still looks unfairly ethereal and gorgeous when he smiles at him, quirks a brow at him. And then he speaks. “Why don’t you?”

 

That’s all Seongwoo needs to hear before he undoes his seatbelt and leans over the center console of the car. He lets go of Minhyun’s hand so he can cradle his cheek instead, caressing the soft skin before pressing his lips gently to his.

 

This kiss is much different than the first kiss he had shared with Minhyun; the other kiss had shared so much weight and baggage, as if Seongwoo was pushing his problems on to Minhyun, hoping he would solve them all as he meshed his lips together with his. This time, everything is gentler, and rather than feeling heavy, Seongwoo feels weightless, as if Minhyun’s kiss has really taken all of his pain away. 

 

As his lips move against his, he can feel Minhyun’s hand on his shoulder, gently bringing him closer to him. It’s a little uncomfortable, with the gear shift digging into his side, but Seongwoo manages, deepens the kiss as best as he can. He fits his lips perfectly with Minhyun’s, slotting them together before he bites down gently on his lower lip, dragging it away and marveling in the soft moan that Minhyun makes as he does so. 

 

It’s not long before his lips are on his again, but this time, the kiss is much needier, rougher; Minhyun’s hand travels to Seongwoo’s hip as he draws him close, their lips meeting in a messy kiss. Experimentally, Minhyun slides his tongue into his mouth and Seongwoo groans, but he isn’t complaining. His lips part, and his tongue slips against his. The car feels incredibly hot now, and Seongwoo feels sweat beading on his forehead.

 

“Minhyun--” he whispers softly against the other’s lips as he pulls away. Minhyun’s breath is hot against his mouth, and he swallows hard as his hand slides down his side, grasping at the curve of his ass. “ _ Oh--..” _

 

“Want you…” Minhyun whispers breathlessly. His lips are glossy and swollen, and Seongwoo can’t help but steal another kiss from them.

 

“Here..?” Seongwoo asks, and Minhyun nods. “Well, it’s not the kinkiest place I’ve fucked, but…”

 

At that, Minhyun lets out a soft giggle and playfully smacks Seongwoo’s ass. Seongwoo undoes Minhyun’s seatbelt before carefully climbing over the center console, situating himself in Minhyun’s lap.

 

“Just don’t honk the horn while we’re fucking, okay?” Minhyun jokes, and Seongwoo grins. Before he can respond, Minhyun drags him down for another kiss, moves his lips rhythmically against his as his hands work the buttons of his shirt open, pushing them off his shoulders. Seongwoo shrugs it off, then tosses it aside.

 

It’s then that Minhyun trails his lips downwards, sloppily down his jaw and then down his neck, all the way to his chest before his tongue darts out and swirls around his nipple; Seongwoo moans quietly, grinding his hips down against the seat of Minhyun’s pants.

 

“Fuck..” Seongwoo whimpers, his hands finding their way into Minhyun’s hair. As Minhyun continues his ministrations, he throws his head back, biting down on his lips in a feeble attempt to mask his sounds.

 

Minhyun continues just like that a little longer, lazily lapping at his nipple, teeth gently grazing it before he finally pulls away, leaving Seongwoo breathless. He’s already hard, and by the way Minhyun’s length pokes at his thigh underneath his jeans, he can tell that his lover is too. Teasingly, he grinds against him again, grinning as Minhyun hisses and throws his head back in pleasure.

 

“N-no more teasing,” Seongwoo whines. “Just want you now…”

 

At that, Minhyun nods in understanding. His hands slide down to Seongwoo’s jeans, slipping into the pockets. “Okay… Okay, just-- these, take them off.”

 

It’s hard to do, Seongwoo finds as he balances by gripping at Minhyun’s seat, carefully undoing his belt and pushing his jeans down his legs. Minhyun helps a little until the pesky piece of clothing is finally shrugged off his legs along with his underwear and shoes, in a pile beside the gas pedal and brakes.

 

Minhyun wastes no time after that, and as Seongwoo situates himself in his lap again, he brings two fingers to Seongwoo’s lips. “Suck,” he instructs, and he complies immediately, taking the digits into his mouth and swirling his tongue around them.

 

Seongwoo feels his cheeks burn hot as Minhyun stares. It feels incredibly intimate, and while he’s never been one to be ashamed of his own sexuality, in this moment he feels incredibly vulnerable, completely on display for Minhyun like this. 

 

“So good…” Minhyun compliments, and Seongwoo flushes softly. He pulls his fingers out and Seongwoo sighs, gasps sharply as he feels his own cold saliva against his entrance. Minhyun’s fingers circle the crinkled hole, spreading the wetness over them. “Relax, okay? Wanna make you feel good.”

 

He’s done this plenty of times before, so it’s easy to relax; Seongwoo gently wraps his arms around Minhyun’s neck as he lets a finger push past the tight ring of muscle. A moan escapes, and he buries the sound into the other’s neck. Minhyun comforts him, his free hand soothing down his bare sides, across the soft skin of his hips.

 

“I’ve got you…” Minhyun coos. He works his finger slowly into him, and once he’s adjusted, he finally adds a second. The stretch isn’t horrible, but Seongwoo still knits his brows together in discomfort. Minhyun slowly works him open, scissoring his fingers until the stretch is enough.

 

Then, his fingers brush gently against Seongwoo’s prostate, and he jumps in surprise, turning into putty in Minhyun’s hands not long after. “ _ Fuck..”  _ he whimpers, and Minhyun chuckles lightly, the sound not far off from a beautiful melody, Seongwoo thinks. “No more, please.. Just fuck me… Need you, Minhyun…”

 

At that, Minhyun nods, then draws his fingers out of his ass. Seongwoo cries out a little at the empty feeling, but his dick twitches as Minhyun pushes him back a little, just so he has enough space to undo his own pants, pulling his length free. Seongwoo swallows; the tip of his cock is leaking, so much that it’s enough to slick down his entire length, lubricating himself for Seongwoo. As Minhyun strokes himself, Seongwoo watches his face, the way he flushes a bright red. So gorgeous, Seongwoo thinks, and he wonders how he had been so lucky to meet someone like Minhyun, so handsome, yet so caring and wonderful at the same time…

 

“Are you ready…?” Minhyun finally asks. His voice is shaky as he positions himself at Seongwoo’s entrance. Seongwoo nods softly, leaning down to peck Minhyun’s lips once more.

 

“Please… Need you so much.”

 

Minhyun nods in understanding. He only teases a bit, running the tip over Seongwoo’s entrance before he finally pushes inside, little by little. The stretch is bearable, Seongwoo thinks. Minhyun makes it easier by capturing his lips in a kiss, holding his hips still. His hands are warm and comforting, and Seongwoo allows himself to wrap his arms around Minhyun’s neck, holding him close.

 

“Fuck… You’re so…” Seongwoo trails off, pulling away and throwing his head back in his bliss. 

 

“You’re tight--” Minhyun groans. Seongwoo can feel him trying to work up his pace little by little, until it’s steady, his girth stretching his walls and making him feel incredibly hot and worked up. His hands move up and tug gently on Minhyun’s hair as he breathes hotly into the air. 

 

It’s such a confined space, Seongwoo thinks, but it makes things so much hotter, so much better, as Minhyun pulls him closer, his hands on his ass and spreading them carefully apart. He feels him push in deeper after that, and a loud, breathy moan escapes against Minhyun’s neck.

 

“Yesyesyes,  _ fuck,  _ Minhyun, please--” Seongwoo chants. He feels so good, so hot… Minhyun takes care of him, works him open on his cock and fucks him so nicely that he can’t even believe that this moment is real. “You’re so good to me, please, ah--...”

 

“Mmm… Seongwoo…” Minhyun moans. His hips stutter a little as he continues to fuck up into him. Their pace has grown frantic now as they chase their release, lips mashing together in a hurried and messy kiss. It’s too much teeth and too much spit, but Seongwoo doesn’t care. All his brain can think in this moment is  _ Minhyun, Minhyun, Minhyun… _

 

“I’m so close…” Seongwoo says breathily. At that, Minhyun takes his cock into his hands, stroking his length at a similar pace that he fucks him to. Seongwoo feels overwhelmed with pleasure, washing over him as Minhyun’s hot breath spreads over his skin.

 

He sees white when the both finally cum, Seongwoo’s release spilling all over the front of Minhyun’s shirt, and Minhyun filling Seongwoo until he’s full, white slipping down his thighs and pooling onto the seat below. Tired, Seongwoo collapses onto Minhyun’s chest, and Minhyun holds him close, panting heavily.

 

Seongwoo feels so incredibly blissed out. Usually, sec would just leave him, tired, eager to be done just so he could shower and get some sleep. But here and now, he feels like he’s glowing, a lazy smile fluttering over his lips as he gently pushes himself up, smiling down at Minhyun below him. “Sorry… I made a mess in your car… And your shirt, too...”

 

Minhyun laughs, shaking his head. “S’okay.. I’ll get it cleaned up... That was… It was really good.”

 

At that, Seongwoo nods in agreement, humming in his afterglow. “....Mmmh… Thank you…” he breathes. Minhyun just wraps his arms around him, tucking him into the crook of his neck and holds him close.

 

“Trust me… I promise I’ll take care of you.”

 

If he needed anymore reassurance that Minhyun is indeed too good to be true, this is it, Seongwoo thinks. He grins sillily before nodding, humming as he closes his eyes. “I trust you…”

 

“Good… I’m glad,” Minhyun responds. “Now let’s go home and shower, then get some rest okay?”

 

“Sounds nice…” Seongwoo hums. He carefully removes himself from Minhyun’s lap and seeks out his clothes. They’re a little difficult to get back on, but Minhyun is patient, helps him out a little, even grabs a few tissues from the glovebox to clean them up a little before Seongwoo hops back into the passenger’s seat. Minhyun starts the car back up then; Seongwoo holds his hand the entire trip home.

 

It’s silent again, but it’s a comfortable silence that Seongwoo wouldn’t mind getting used to. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yes finally.
> 
> curiouscat: wannabyui


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